The first Big Stir Records release for 2021 is also the label debut for THE STAN LAURELS. THERE IS NO LIGHT WITHOUT THE DARK (out on CD and digital formats January 23 at www.bigstirrecords.com/store and everywhere, and available for pre-order now) is the fourth studio album from Austin, TX native JOHN LATHROP under the Laurels name. It's a

The first Big Stir Records release for 2021 is also the label debut for THE STAN LAURELS. THERE IS NO LIGHT WITHOUT THE DARK (out on CD and digital formats January 23 at www.bigstirrecords.com/store and everywhere, and available for pre-order now) is the fourth studio album from Austin, TX native JOHN LATHROP under the Laurels name. It's a watershed follow-up to his acclaimed and award-winning 2018 collection MAYBE that's sure to garner similar accolades: ambitious but accessible, its musical eclecticism is grounded in Lathrop's singular gift for melody and arrangement, and a strong thematic vision reflected by the record's title.

A musical and visual polymath who's responsible for all the songs, vocals, instrumental performances and even the striking art design that together embody The Stan Laurels' vision, Lathrop has reached a new peak on There Is No Light Without The Dark. Featuring ten new original songs and a pair of instrumental interludes (John's also found success in film scoring), the record constitutes a further synthesis of influences as diverse as The Beatles, Breeders, Zombies, Kinks, Flaming Lips, Cars, Badfinger, Yes, They Might Be Giants, and Debussy into a big, lush, multi-layered sound that feels both vintage and modern.

That controlled collision of retro sounds and 21st century sensibility can be found in the playful modern lyrical references that include the sly deployment of online memes and tropes, as asides and even as the focus of the lead single, “Florida Man” (which also happens to be partially autobiographical). There are also unmistakably current -- and scathingly humorous – takedowns of the departing POTUS on the giddily withering “Red-Handed Puppet” and the more pointed (but still impeccably tuneful) “Lost & Found”. There's even an ode to the titular comic character actress of “Mo Collins” that's pure fannish fun.

If this joyful wordplay is part of the “light” of the title, the other component is the tenderness that underpins a pair of odes to Lathrop's family. “Of Love, Wine and Song”, written for John's wife, sees a prog-inspired 5/4 time signature take flight into shoegaze-adjacent realms of beauty. And the lovely waltz “Mateo’s Song”, which truly deserves to be considered a modern lullaby, pays tribute to the singer-songwriter's young son.

As promised, and as to be expected for a record constructed during 2020, the “dark” is addressed here as well: the closing “This Is Your Life” ebbs and flows between lacerating guitars and sweeter idylls as it takes its stabs at the loudest complainers who are too often oblivious to how much better they have it compared to so many others. But the song offers hope for growth, as does the appropriately (and authentically) psychedelic “On Paper”, which equates maturity and grace with emerging from a bad acid trip. “November” is probably the most harrowing tune on offer, mirroring the onset of a panic attack with an unexpected tempo change (one of many arrestingly creative arrangement moments that dot the album). The dark and the light live side by side in these songs, and it may be on the beautiful, gliding “Tomorrow” that they're best synthesized: Lathrop describes it as a self-motivational anthem, and it breezes in like a lost classic from the college rock airwaves of the '80s before crashing into a soaring '90s alt-rock chorus... and still finds room for a tight, bouncy breakdown in the Cars or Weezer mold.

Lathrop's distinctive (and often stunningly gorgeous) voice brings the diverse influences on display together, and his playing – on the drums, keyboards, bass, and an array of jaw-dropping guitar arrangements – is always in service of the songs. And those songs, as varied as they are, support each other in their unflinching honesty, inventiveness, and ultimately, hope. “There is no single blueprint for how a Stan Laurels record must sound,” John notes, and proves it here with a full collection of ups and downs, soft and heavy, mellow and loud, and - yes - light and dark, both musically and within the lyrical themes. Lathrop demurs that it's a cliché for an artist to claim his newest work is his best, so we shall do it for him: THERE IS NO LIGHT WITHOUT THE DARK is a major leap forward from an already accomplished and unique musical talent, and we at Big Stir Records can't wait to share it with you.

Big Stir Records is excited to release the first single from the first record on our 2021 schedule, and with it comes more big news! THE STAN LAURELS present the brand new track “Florida Man” as the preview single from their forthcoming album, backed with “Noche Buena”, a beautiful but disquieting Christmas tune perfect for these strange holidays.

Big Stir Records is excited to release the first single from the first record on our 2021 schedule, and with it comes more big news! THE STAN LAURELS present the brand new track “Florida Man” as the preview single from their forthcoming album, backed with “Noche Buena”, a beautiful but disquieting Christmas tune perfect for these strange holidays. The Saturday Surprise Single is out at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com and everywhere today!

The new STAN LAURELS record is due in January on Big Stir Records, with more details to come... but for now, SLs main man JOHN LATHROP has this to say about the A-side: “Being originally from Florida, I am in fact a 'Florida Man,' and the title is of course a play on the news headline trope in which a man from Florida does some sort of laughably absurd (often illegal) activity. Although I have purposely lived far away from FL for nearly 25 years, I am occasionally reminded that you can take the man out of Florida, but you can't necessarily take Florida out of the man. This song is my plea to the universe to sort of exorcise the small bit of skanky Florida that still exists within me.”

The B-side, “Noche Buena”, has just bowed on the BIG STIR SINGLES: THE YULETIDE WAVE compilation, and gets a bit of well-earned spotlight here. "It's my first attempt at a Christmas song, but aside from the sleigh bells and chimes, one may not realize it unless they pay close attention to the lyrics, what with its minor chord progressions and low-key psychedelic vibes,” says Lathrop. “It conjures up a scenario in which an adult actually catches a glimpse of Santa Claus in all his magical glory ... but as this is set in real-world modern times, the event is treated much like a bigfoot or UFO sighting, the witness full of disbelief and questioning his own sanity after the encounter.” As timely as the headlines of the year, we believe!

Both tunes were written and entirely performed by Lathrop, co-producing with MICHAEL DAY who also mixed and mastered the single. The striking sleeve art is by Lathrop as well, and the entire package serves to introduce the sound and the themes of the new album. Keep an eye this space during the holidays... the announcement of the title and release date are just around the corner, and BSR couldn't be happier to have THE STAN LAURELS join our roster and usher in the new year!