Nineteen years old and on the brink of releasing his third album, there is little doubt that Malcom Lacey, the Florida native musically known as Arrange, has something to share with the world. “Arrange” is right — if the three pre-leased singles from New Memory (out tomorrow) are any indication of the rest of the album, Malcom is no mere teenager fiddling with his laptop. Each track presents a full and rich musical arrangement that shows a clear knowledge of his way around a soundboard. The effect is a dreamy one — the track “North” gives the impression of floating through a vague yet formative memory.
Lacey’s sound is one that many artists are dabbling in right now, that of a sort of calm and out-of-this-world electronic experiment, yet Lacey hits his mark where so many others miss thanks to his acute sensitivity to the world around him and attention to detail in each track. No single sound is out of place or simply thrown in for the hell of it, but rather you get the keen sense as a listener that each note, line, and sound effect has a driving sense of purpose for Lacey.
Considering the almost auteur nature of his music, it makes total sense that Lacey began his studies as a student at the Miami Film School. The reflective nature of his albums is a trait that indicates some sort of experience with telling a story. His past albums have focused on themes relating to introspection, his relationship with his father, and his relationship with the world around him. The hinting tracks from New Memory so far seem to be an extension of this, added regard to the manifestation of adulthood and love in all of its shapes and forms. Tomorrow can’t come soon enough; this is one tale that I am eager to hear the rest of.