REVIEW: The Singer in My Band by This Is Lorelei

Rating: 4/5

Favorite Tracks: “The Singer in My Band,” “Hey Sarah Is It Gonna Rain Forever,” and “Billy Came Back”

Nate Amos makes music people obsess over. Between his work with pop group Water from Your Eyes and his solo work under pseudonym This Is Lorelei, he has released roughly one billion songs over the last 10+ years, most of which were thrown haphazardly onto Bandcamp for fans to access and for free.

That alone is worthy of obsession, but the nationwide Amos fever really started in 2024 with the release of This Is Lorelei’s debut studio album Box for Buddy, Box for Star. A dreamy indie rock/country/electro-pop record inspired by the singer-songwriter’s journey towards sobriety.

Box for Buddy sounds like a lot, but it really isn’t. Amos’ command over each track’s production, along with his plaintive, inviting vocals, makes the wide genre palette cohere brilliantly.

Box for Buddy didn’t start as a lot, but it became a lot. A deluxe version was released in early 2025, with covers of a few tracks by other artists, a lengthy tour for the album, and finally, another deluxe release in 2026. Where every song on the album was covered by an incredibly stacked lineup of musicians: Jeff Tweedy, MJ Lenderman, Waxahatchee, and Snail Mail, just to name a few. By now, even your favorite musicians obsess over This Is Lorelei.

Where do you go from here? It’s a question most artists face after their biggest record, and This Is Lorelei answered in the same way many great musicians before him have: tear it down to the studs. Gone are the electronic flourishes from his previous record, the programmed drums, autotuned vocals, and synth melodies. The Singer in my Band isn’t interested in any of that; it is as acoustic as it gets. The main reason behind this sonic shift is the conditions surrounding its creation. Unlike the rest of This is Lorelei’s records, this one was largely created on Amos’ aforementioned lengthy tour, without any instruments or time in the studio. Songs were thought and re-thought for months at a time before finally being recorded.

The result is a potency that wasn’t present before. Amos’ lack of access to proper recording equipment means he put 100 percent into each tool when he finally got them. You can hear this effort in the lush vocal harmonies throughout the album. It comes through in the guitar on a track like “Hey Sarah Is It Gonna Rain Forever,” which also makes great use of a full string section in moments. You hear it in the way the electric guitar cuts through at the end of “The Kid With The Crown” and in the banjo on the title track, played by Bob Amos, Nate’s father. The utilization of sounds is pleasant and concise, more approachable than anything he’s made previously. Despite its palatability, it still rewards repeat listening to hear just how perfectly it all comes together.

Unfortunately for this record, the hooks seem to have been lost in the sonic downsizing. It feels like a dumb complaint, considering that the little individual stories that make up the lyrics of The Singer in My Band are quite good. The record is full with lyrically precise tracks about an interesting cast of American everymen. Still, after countless listens, it’s hard to shake the feeling that this country rock sound could stand to be a little more anthemic. The catchiest song on here is “Sailing (Your Baby’s Down),” one of the more downtempo songs on the record. What hurts is that it’s a flaw he’s never really struggled with before. Songs like “Dancing in the Club” proved he could balance dense conceptual writing with solid pop hooks. For all of the differences between Amos’ two solo records, this is the one area where the changes feel like a regression. 

Regardless of the lack of earworms, The Singer in My Band is far from forgettable. It is a lively, expertly crafted collection of country rock tunes that further solidifies This Is Lorelei as a premier talent in modern music. If you aren’t obsessed with Nate Amos by now, this is the place to start.

The Singer in My Band is available for purchase on the artists Bandcamp, and available to stream wherever you get your music. Additionally, tickets for the accompanying tour are available through the artists website.