Lost At Night – State Street Album Review

Review by Amber Bintliff –

New York City indie-rock band State Street have released their debut full-length album, Lost at
Night. Consisting of vocalist Bobby Gioiosa, guitarist Matthew Wikstrom, drummer Stephen
Dorris, guitarist Matt Marin, and bassist Jacob Lapidus, Lost at Night is a true testament to the
confusing, yet exciting time of navigating through all life has to offer during your 20s and
beyond. Its themes of nostalgia and optimism create a meaningful and expressive listening
experience across each song on the album.

“Halfway” is the first of the ten tracks and starts it off strong, with its infectiously catchy
instrumental complete with a groovy guitar riff and steady drum beat. It then transitions into the
softer, more nostalgic sounding “Once We Were Younger,” which reflects on growing up and
reminiscing on past experiences.

“Ocean Blonde” is, in my opinion, the designated ‘song to listen to at full blast with the windows
down’ song on Lost at Night, just in time for the summer season. It has a carefree, sentimental
vibe with catchy lyrics that instantly gets stuck in your head. The track is the epitome of a perfect
indie-rock song with State Street’s classic, unique touch.

“Sometimes I Believe You” centers around a failing relationship, with Gioisoa singing, “You say
that you love me, honey / Sometimes I believe you.” The song expresses having doubts that
your partner still loves you, and that things are continuing to go wrong in the relationship the
longer you hold on. It also feels like one of those songs that would play during a dramatic,
heartfelt break-up scene in a coming of age movie.

The next track, “Untitled,” continues to reminisce on old relationships and how things ended with
a previous lover. This past relationship in question specifically is quite haunting, with Gioisoa
expressing, “Your ghost is nothing like you / But I can feel it just the same.” He also sings of
wanting to forget the person’s number and name, showing how much hurt has been
experienced and he’d rather just forget about their existence altogether. “Feels Like Love (Glass
Hearts),” takes on a more hopeful approach to love, with its lyrics expressing feeling a
connection to someone despite being doubtful about entering a new relationship.

“Voices” is a clear standout for me on Lost at Night. The song has a beautifully haunting
instrumental, and addresses feelings of isolation and loneliness. The chorus emerges as a plea
to be heard, with Gioiosa singing, “Can you hear me now? / Am I making a sound? / Is there
anyone out there?”

As we continue on through the last half of the album, “Surrender” appears as a much more
hopeful track after the powerfully emotional “Voices” just before. It focuses on a message of not
giving up, that whatever is troubling you now won’t last forever. The penultimate track on the
album is the earlier released single “Wake Up,” which was my first introduction to State Street
last fall and one of my favorite songs from that semester.

Lost at Night reaches a close with its final track, “Don’t Run Away.” It captures all of the
emotions expressed throughout each song on this album, and how it’s important to not run away from these feelings. It ties everything about the record’s theme together perfectly, and feels like
the perfect end to such a beautifully crafted album.

Lost at Night is a stellar debut album that, to me, reflects on the human experience and all the
emotions that come along with navigating through it. It has the bittersweet, melancholy feel of
looking back on the past, while still showing notes of optimism for what the future holds. Overall,
it’s a fantastic first full-length record from State Street that feels authentic to the band and their
journey as both artists and individuals.

Featured image from Instagram – @statestreetnyc