Throughout a near-decade, little image morphed from a group of perpetually online suburban teens who were obsessed with underground indie rock and had no idea what they wanted to be into the tight-knit outfit you see today.

Thus goes the band’s official press release. In more plain English, the band have shifted from proudly paying homage to From Indian Lakes toward writing a more AJR-flavored brand of synthesizer-based pop. The new sound will also appeal to fans of Jon Bellion, Twenty One Pilots, and Awolnation.

Was this a good move? Even Joey V of FIL has drifted quite a bit sonically, and with personnel changes within little image, the shift isn’t a complete surprise. After all, the transition between These Are Just Words and Musings was itself quite unexpected. And plenty of other bands have shifted in similar ways, to varying degrees of success. The question ultimately becomes one of identity: Is this incarnation worthy of the little image name? Is there any semblance to previous work? Is the band selling out?

As a long-term fan of the band, these are questions I’ve had to wrestle with honestly. It’s been a puzzle, sure, but the trio’s rollout has been slow enough to give me time to process the shift. It’s not even that I don’t like indie pop or have some personal allegiance to the band’s former approach. I haven’t listened to From Indian Lakes in years, to be honest. But “WORTH IT” initially felt cheap, derivative, and painfully-mainstream. To be honest, while it has grown on me, I don’t feel like it was the best reintroduction to the group, either.

But then came, in no particular order, “EGO”, “LUNGS BURN”, “BLUE”, and “CLEAN.” And I’ll keep this short, but I’m VERY glad “CLEAN” came back for the album. Somewhere underneath the pop veneer sits a bed of lyrics about navigating modern life, loss of identity, human dignity, and such more. And while these are very much still pop songs, they aren’t flippant about tackling these subjects.

At the same time, it’s hard to feel like it’s all genuine. The trio have had a glowup of sorts, seeing them on tour with Colony House, putting out several professional music videos, and working with veterans in the industry. So, it’s hard to believe they have “nothing in [their] pockets”. And in an age where even experimental pop artists are finding time in the limelight, this record ultimately feels like the path of least resistance. Everything from the imagery to the marketing campaigns is designed to sell – and the efforts appear to be working, but don’t mistake that as necessarily validating the artistic integrity here. The album lacks some of the profoundly-personal sides of Musings, which wasn’t afraid to address a cosmic state of orphanhood and a variety of ways we find ourselves unwanted and unloved. It was an interesting angle to a rare conversation, paired with captivating melodies. It was the essence of what it meant to be “independent” – saying what you want in a manner of how you want. This album, however, feels more like saying what you want people to hear.

These songs are nonetheless still fun, energetic, and catchy. If it felt like little image was taking off after Musings, they’re certainly gaining notoriety at a decent rate. Vox populi is not the arbiter of truth, but it’s enough to show that the tools and personnel the band has is proving noteworthy to many listeners. And live? If the videos the band published are indicative of what you’ll actually see on tour, you’re in for a performance.

And even the weaker songs have their sing-along moments. “RUNWAY” is one of my least-liked songs, and I’m not a huge fan of some of the vocal processing, but that’s not enough to keep the chorus from getting stuck in my head. “BALLET” teeters somewhere in between enjoyment and displeasure, but I most admit I also “don’t like the way that I look.” “NO EGO” acts as an intro to “WORTH IT” and helps introduce some of the musical motifs over its short runtime.

Due to the sheer amount of songs released prior to the full album, things tend to feel very top-heavy. If you aren’t a fan of “WORTH IT”, the second half at the very least feels divided a bit – but none of the new songs are quite as compelling as their predecessors. “NEW LOVERS” shows a bit of the band’s rhythmic capacity (arguably one of the larger redeeming factors) and feels somewhat reminiscent of past work for a moment, but even this familiarity is short-lived. “GLUE” is an awkward ballad that feels weak as the closing track.

Ultimately, this self-titled record introduces us to a new, apparently definitive, version of little image. The band’s quasi-spiritual bent is gone, along with their intricate emo-adjacent guitar parts. Instead, the songs are far less organic, more bombastic, and fit right in with the latest wave of indie pop artists. The tracks, especially on the first half, are pretty fun and catchy. But suffice to say it, this new iteration of little image has a very distinct identity. By now, older fans have probably at least heard something from this record and decided if they want to stick around. But for those still on the edges, the tracks on the back end will likely solidify their decision.

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