Sadly, is also the 81st anniversary
of Kristallnacht, the night were Nazi stormtroopers attacked German Jews, and
destroyed their businesses and places of worship, a harbinger of the horror of the holocaust that would follow.
Both events are a reminder that liberal
democratic values are important, hard won and easily lost.
With that said, let’s move onto something much lighter – like this excellent next album.
Disc 1315 is… Sees the Light
Artist:
La Sera
Year of Release: 2012
What’s up with the
Cover?
Principal singer/songwriter Katy Goodman, looking like she stepped out of some
wistful sixties coming of age art film.
How I Came to Know
It: I read a review of their 2016
release, “Music for Listening to Music To” (reviewed back at Disc 1178) and dug through their back catalogue from there.
How It Stacks Up: I had two albums, but after reviewing “Music
For Listening to Music To” I parted company with it. I think this entitles me
to an exemption on the ‘can’t stack up’ common law. “Sees the Light” is the
better of the two albums. It won’t be leaving my collection any time soon.
Ratings: 4 stars
Much like the album’s cover, “Sees the Light” is
a throwback to the early sixties. It will lead you to sitting on beaches,
staring pale and wan into autumn sunsets, but loving every minute of it.
The album has a sneaky simplicity that makes
it easy to fall into. After only a couple listens the songs feel like old
standards. The simplicity holds the secret to every pop song – the ability to
make you anticipate what’s coming next, and then reward you for being right. The
songs lilt along with a carefree breeziness that evokes slow drives in a
convertible or hikes through a park.
Despite that simplicity I didn’t get tired of the
music, and that’s a testament to the sneakiness I referenced earlier. While it
is mostly just vocals, piano, guitar and drum, Goodman has a talent for what
arrangement to employ for each tune. “Real Boy” goes with a light and
lively guitar picking pattern that evokes youthful romanticism. “I’m Alone”
has a similar guitar treatment but throws in some sharp and poignant drumbeats
that add gravitas and switch the mood from new love, to love lost.
Goodman’s vocals are light and diffuse, further
adding to the dreamy reverie of the record. While it is just her singing, she
employs layers that gives the impression of a chorus of singers oohing and
aahing for added gravitas (n.b. – there is no actual oohing and aahing, it just
feels like there is).
The instruments (including vocals) are all
presented very evenly in the mix. This lets your mind wander from instrument to
instrument. I appreciated the understated drumming, the guitar licks and
Goodman’s masterful phrasing all in equal measure, and on each listen, it was a
pleasure to drift my attention from one thing to another.
For dream pop, “Sees the Light” is remarkably
crisp, made possible by a folk aesthetic that prizes individual musicianship.
Unlike some music from this genre and vintage, I never felt like someone had
been relegated to plunking a single note once ever bar or having everyone bang
away in a song-ending flourish that reveals an inability to wrap up the melody.
Instead, these are carefully crafted songs, where each instrument has a full
part to play in the whole.
The album is very tight as well. Ten songs
that clock in at just over 30 minutes total playing time. These songs have a
sixties radio play aesthetic, that gets in, develop the melody and call it a
day. Don’t expect long-winded solos. There are a couple, but they’re rare and
very restrained when they do appear. That said, the guitar interlude on “Love
That’s Gone” is sublime and a must-listen if you’re wondering what song to start
with. Conveniently, it is the first song on the album!
Despite all the sweetness and light, the album
has considerable emotional range. Yes, they’re mostly about love found or love
lost, but you get a full exploration of the theme. If you’re going to overload a
record about a single topic, love is an obvious choice.
When I reviewed “Music for Listening to Music
To” I noted that while I liked it overall it never grabbed me at a deeper level
or reveal some new facet of itself over time. Not so, with “Sees the Light,”
which kept unfurling new discoveries both lyrically and musically on every one
of several listens. If you are interested in checking out La Sera, this is the
album you should start with.
Best tracks: Love That’s Gone, I Can’t Keep You in My Mind, I’m
Alone, Real Boy, Drive On
