{"product_id":"youbet-way-to-be","title":"YOUBET - Way To Be","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLP - Limited Edition Three Colour Soufflé (White, Blue, Purple) Vinyl. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHardly Art debut by Brooklyn-based artist \u003cstrong\u003eNick Llobet\u003c\/strong\u003e, aka \u003cstrong\u003eyoubet\u003c\/strong\u003e, follows their 2020 debut album on \u003cstrong\u003eBa Da Bing! Records\u003c\/strong\u003e. A lovely album of layered melodic pop-rock arrangements fusing rock and electronic instrumentation with Nick Llobet’s poignant, witty, and vulnerable lyrics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNick Llobet (they\/them) was ready to throw in the towel. Llobet, who grew up in South Florida, learned to play guitar at a very young age, dabbling in everything from classical, blues, classic rock, and flamenco. They’d spent much of their early 20s searching for their voice as an artist and as an individual, as well as for a musical community. Llobet would eventually move to Brooklyn, but after three years of looking for a hopeful artistic breakthrough, they spent much of their time in seclusion, consumed by social anxiety and imposter syndrome—and they were considering abandoning songwriting completely.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOne day, while commuting through Penn Station en route to their partner’s family home in Virginia (that would also lead to the crucial purchase of a second-hand Tascam cassette recorder), they noticed \u003cstrong\u003ePatti Smith\u003c\/strong\u003e sitting alone, waiting for a train. The typically shy Llobet decided to approach the icon, who was, in turn, delighted to see that Llobet was carrying a guitar. At the end of their interaction, Smith offered some parting wisdom: “She wished me luck and said, ‘Practice hard, Nick.’” Llobet took her advice to heart, and this chance encounter kicked off a personal and artistic rebirth.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThey started performing as youbet, a play on their last name, and began “changing [their] vision for what a song could be.” youbet’s debut, \u003cem\u003eCompare \u0026amp; Despair\u003c\/em\u003e, a delightful gem of a record that showcases Llobet’s propensity for freewheeling whimsy and emotional intensity. In May 2019, inspired by a song-a-week writing group that produced \u003cem\u003eCompare \u0026amp; Despair\u003c\/em\u003e, Llobet started a second club in which contributors would upload that week’s song to a private Bandcamp. Invigorated by this small musical collaboration, the feedback, and the accountability, Llobet wrote 18 songs throughout the duration of the club, twelve of which became \u003cem\u003eWay To Be\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAfter this songwriting marathon, Llobet spent 2020 focusing on instrumental guitar work and political engagement. By the summer of 2021, they were ready to revisit the Way To Be tracks. Over the next year-and-a-half, Llobet worked on the record relentlessly, refining the lyrics, recording, and arrangements from their apartment. Llobet self-produced \u003cem\u003eWay To Be\u003c\/em\u003e and describes the process as an enormous, labor-intensive undertaking that felt akin to “making a whole film.” Along the way, Llobet was joined by collaborators, including \u003cstrong\u003eJulian Fader\u003c\/strong\u003e (Ava Luna), \u003cstrong\u003eAdam Brisbin\u003c\/strong\u003e (Buck Meek), and \u003cstrong\u003eDaniel Siles\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAcross \u003cem\u003eWay To Be\u003c\/em\u003e’s 12 delightfully off-kilter tunes, Llobet uses wordplay and tongue-in-cheek humor to obliquely explore dysfunctional relationships, regret, self-confidence or the lack thereof, queerness, and self-discovery. Fuzzy at the edges and filled with playful, kinetic arrangements, \u003cem\u003eWay To Be\u003c\/em\u003e is a bridge into the entrancing world of youbet. You won’t want to leave.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hardly Art","offers":[{"title":"LP - Three Colour Soufflé (White, Blue, Purple) Vinyl","offer_id":47881315877209,"sku":"SDZ-43719","price":14.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/youbet_-_Way_To_Be_-_LP_Three_Colour_Souffle__White__Blue__Purple_Vinyl_-_2024.jpg?v=1709138285","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/youbet-way-to-be","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}