It’s finally here. After all this time. Chicago-based duo Louis The Child debut album has arrived. Titled Here For Now, the most talented duo in all of future bass delivered what in my opinion is easily one of, if not THE best album of the year. After years of harvesting their talent and cultivating a unique sound, the duo, made up by Robby Hauldren and Freddy Kennett has reached one of the most important peaks for any artist. A full, original album.
An Important Delay
The duo announced their album in May. After that, every single one of their fans, myself included eagerly awaited for June 12. The date Here For Now would be released. 2020 had been filled with some amazing tracks from the duo everyone expected would be a part of the album. A couple of days before the album’s release we received a little surprise. The duo’s latest track ‘Nobody Like You’ featuring Australian singer Vera Blue featured the famed and awaited album’s cover.
Everything seemed to be perfectly aligned for the release. Then, the USA went up in flames. Due to the riots, the brave social movement, and the general feeling of anger and the desire of justice the murder of George Floyd brought across the whole country, Louis The Child joined many artists inside the EDM community, and decided to delay their album’s release, as to not take any attention away from the movement. The duo made the statement on their Instagram account, which you can read in the post shown below.
The brave and good-hearted decision was warmly received by the industry as a whole. The show would have to wait. Now, after two weeks, here we are. While the situation around the world might still face a lot of issues, the message in LTC’s album is pretty important, especially during these times. We’re only Here For Now. And now, let us dive, together inside this debut album. A masterpiece, if you ask me.
Here For Now
‘Scooter’s Debut’ (Intro)
Short. Sweet. Strange. Just a perfect way to enter Louis The Child debut album.
‘Big Love’ (With EARTHGANG)
Featuring Atlanta hip-hop duo EARTHGANG, LTC’s album first track is just what you want it to be. Reggae-like vocals, sweet rhythms, synth-wave sounds, and a distorted drop joined by a simple yet powerful message. A perfect track to start our trip.
‘Bittersweet’
Things get slow now. Vocals appear to be provided by Freddy Kennett, who’s shared his voice in different tracks for the duo before. A song that reflects on how we can sometimes spend our lives going back and forth around a series of pretty specific topics. All of this while having a pretty organic, almost acoustic-like melody on serve as a track background. Pretty awesome.
‘Little Things’ (with Quinn XCII & Chelsea Cutler)
So far, my favorite track. Featuring two artists the duo have referred to as “some of our favorites in the game right now”. Life is filled with moments so small, yet so amazing. Sometimes, we’re not fully aware of them as they happen. Time is gold. And we should always keep that in mind. Perfectly fitted with the whole album’s philosophy, and a drop so charming, so funny. Truly one of my favorite 2020 tracks.
‘We All Have Dreams’ (with K.Flay)
Every single LTC fan knows this combination means a huge banger is coming. Back in 2015, Louis The Child and K. Flay teamed up for one of LTC’s most famous songs ‘It’s Strange’. Now, 5 years later, the famed power trio is back. A dance and jump rhythm, euphoria-infusing track. ‘We All Have Dreams’ reminds us, well, that. We are all here, sharing dreams, never actually sure if we’re doing the right thing. But hey, that’s all we can do. Keep on dreaming.
‘Nobody Like You’ (with Vera Blue)
This one was released just two days before the album announcement. Vera Blue’s magnific voice mixes with an amazing melody created by Louis The Child, and the chorus? Simply amazing. Exactly what you want to hear while rolling in the grass, enjoying your day and your life. Going through a crush that grows by the minute. We’ve all been there once or twice, trying to stop our feelings, but eventually allowing our heart to convince us we’ve in fact never met someone like this new person. Lol.
‘Don’t Mind’
Both Freddy and Robbie share the credit for putting up the vocals on this one. Is there something these two can’t do? A pop-ish track that will immediately make you want to jump and dance shaking your body through the whole room. The little vocal loop at the beginning of the song might just be my favorite part. With this track, we reach the album’s half. So far, so perfect. Definitely my favorite duo out there
‘Every Color (with Foster the People)’
Louis the Child X Foster the People? Match made in heaven! After a soft beginning, filled with amazing vocals, we jump to an arpeggio drop that is just breathtaking. This is the definition of colors flying through my ears. I can’t find any other way to explain it. Every single color moving through my mind. As soon as this track was announced, every single music outlet jumped on the track to be the first to cover it. And, who can blame them? This is an astounding combination. Hopefully, it won’t be the last time these two artists find themselves working together on a track.
‘Get Together’ (with Duckwrth)
For this next track, LTC teams up with LA-based rapper Duckwrth. We all need a little break from all this excitement right? A moment to cool our mind and soul. Well, a perfect jazz-r&b fusion fits the moment perfectly. We’ve seen the Chicago duo work tracks similar to this one before. At least on the feeling and instruments, the song reminds me a lot to ‘World on Fire’ featuring Ashe. And god, listen to that trumpet. Angels speaking to you in the form of music.
‘What a World’ (with Bob Moses)
Another heavyweight joins this fantastic and already stacked album. Canadian duo Bob Moses teams up with Chicago’s most famous duo since Jordan-Pippen for this track. We find a track lead by a set of breathtaking, beautiful, and purely amazing vocals. I never thought I would hear these two artists coming together in one song. To top it all, that guitar solo, just perfect. What. A. World.
‘La La La’ (Everything’s Okay)
Wow. A much needed song. The words we all need to hear right now. While not everything might be okay, I like to think this one reminds us about the fact that, we’re not alone. We’re together on this one. This is about good people, coming together, being the change. Spreading that love. A simple, yet powerful message. You’ll be okay. Everything will be okay. Don’t give up now.
‘Free’ (with Drew Love)
San Antonio r&b singer Drew Love joins Here For Now for the album’s last collab. After a beautiful, eye-wetting set of vocals, and a small tambourine joining a chorus and a magical arpeggio, percussions, chords, and a simple and lovely melody takes all form together to rise together, and then, that Louis The Child magic. Paused, chopped, amazingly engineered, and constructed sounds. The perfect example of the maturity this project has reached. A tear bringer.
‘We Are Here for Now’
The penultimate track. The one that gives the album its essence. Its message. We are here for now. No other lyrics needed. The message is loud. It is clear. The melody, the whole track is just something else. So unique. So exquisite. And so fast. Just like life, passing us in less than we are able to notice. Truly transporting you to another dimension through music. A dimension where your soul and senses float together, reaching its spiritual peak.
‘Fade Away’
Just like that, we reach the end of the album. From the start, we can once again tell how unique and amazing LTC’s percussions are. Then, a melody that perfectly pairs itself with the drum pattern. This song just feels like, closure. The final act to a whole journey. The goodbye. The thank you. The standing ovation. The curtain call. Everything’s been said. It’s time to finish this journey and prepare for the next one. One last piano waves us goodbye, and Here For Now, Louis The Child debut album, reaches its end.
Louis The Child Debut Album Final Thoughts
Louis The Child, the duo made up by Chicago born & raised Freddy Kennett and Robbie Hauldren did it. Their debut album, Here For Now, completely and utterly managed to reach and crush every single one of my expectations. Not only the amazing job in each and every one of the tracks, but the complete sense of the whole work as a single project makes this a unique masterpiece. This is one album worth listening to in one go. Not as you clean your house, not as you read a book, but as you sit down, and do nothing, but completely admire its genius.
After a delay which showcased Louis The Child are not only excellent artists, but excellent people, Here For Now is finally here, and it. Is. Perfect. I would truly like to thank both of them. You guys have created a once in a lifetime experience for me and countless others. Thank you, and thank you, amazing reader, for making it all the way through here. I’m sure once this is all over, we will all find ourselves together, inside some venue, or festival, hopefully in Mexico (lol) finally enjoying this debut album together. Until then, I’ll continue listening to it, and learning from it. After all, we’re only Here For Now.
Stream Louis The Child debut album Here For Now below!
