It surely is the mark of a great artist to keep his/her followers and fans on their respective toes, constantly surprising us with each blast into the ether that they provide us with. Kurt Heasley, the braintrust behind the Lilys, falls square into the good company of musicians like Beck, XTC, and countless others who allow themselves every opportunity to follow their own whims when it comes to their creative output. Thankfully for us, Mr. Heasley and his revolving door crew of cohorts have the talent to back those whims up. Whether it's shoegazer-esque dream pop (see 1992's In The Presence of Nothing), Kinks/Creation-like beat pop (1997's Better Can't Make Your Life Better and 1999's The 3-Way), or Neu!-ish drone rock (Zero Population Growth from 1999), each subsequent release bristles with keen song craft, guitar histrionics that most bands would sell their record collections for, and the almost too perfect pop drawl of Mr. Heasley himself.
So what to make of the first full-length release by the Lilys in four years, Precollection? Although this is not the complete change of direction that one would expect, it is still enough of a pleasant surprise to have all the varied styles that the group has dabbled in in the past come together in a stunning pastiche of psychedelic-tinged pop genius bolstered by acoustic guitar and tasteful keyboard accents.
One unexpected treat is the restraint that this new incarnation of the Lilys are playing with. Instead of putting our ears through the ringers with multi-tracked and heavily processed guitars or downright daring our hips not to move with their jumpy rhythms, the tone of this CD holds back and creates an overall mood which is admirable as each song here feels like it has its own identity. Where 'Mystery School Assembly' throws electronically manipulated drum bits over warped guitar making a pleasant buzz of a song, the next song 'Squares' is a four to the floor, Arthur Lee inspired rave up, and they are both followed with a folksy Britpop dream held together by the perfect drumming of Mr. Steven Keller ('Catherine'). Yet with all that, all the songs here bolster each other and would make for a lesser album if one were to be taken away.
All said, the four year wait for a new Lilys album feels well worth the wear and tear we have incurred on our copies of their older material. The new album is a lush, fun, and, yes, surprising masterpiece that is sure to stay ensconced in your CD players for the summer and beyond. |