Lilys - Everything WrongIs Imaginary

Fri 12th Jan, 2007 in Music Reviews

It seems every band has a front man. The composer, the creator, the focus. Kurt Heasley, however, is the band, and seven albums on; he has made a record where, realistically, everything is right. The Lilys are back with Everything Wrong Is Imaginary, and every bit is as fantastically candy-eyed indie as the next.

I admit that yes, I had not heard of the Lilys before this. However, the band has existed for over 15 years, releasing their first album in 1992 called In The Presence of Nothing. Since then, the Lilys have stormed the American indie scene with one release after another, capturing a generous helping of musical acclaim. Throughout the years, however, Kurt Heasley, singer and multi-instrumentalist of the band, has been the only constant member. Every different album it changes, apparently now exceeding a member count of over 70. With this, each album is very innovative and takes a different direction with each release.

When trying to understand what direction this album has taken, the first thing that comes to mind is Heasley’s passion for Prince. It is true that yes, the Lilys are big fans and listened to Purple Rain often when making this record. This influence heavily affects the sound of the album, as well as other recognisable influences such as the Beatles and the Stranglers.

With the help of the current band members Chris McAllen, Michael Johnson, Mario Lopez, Don Piper and three different drummers, the Lilys have created an upbeat and pop-friendly record, which reflects the magical mixture of rhythm and keyboard programming.

The album begins with Black Carpet Magic, using as much feedback as Jimi Hendrix’s Star Spangled Banner and quickly breaking into a fast-paced drumbeat, with repetitive driving guitar. This is matched with Heasley’s passive and smooth vocals and as the song progresses towards the end, much like many of the other songs, the vocals become almost swallowed by the surrounding music, creating a very atmospheric effect.

Floating onto the next two tracks With Candy and Diana’s Diana we find the best tracks of the record. Both with feverous drumbeats, high voices and keyboard noises in just the right places, these songs peak at the right moment and have very memorable and simple lyrics.

The album creeps on through the more subdued tracks, slowing down a little, until it reaches a dazzling moment of three tracks, one after the other, that deliver brilliance. The Night Sun Over San Juan, Still in all the Glitter and the title track Everything Wrong is Imaginary, which is a completely instrumental track.

The album ends on a slightly passive note, I wouldn’t go as far as to say disappointing, however the final song, Scott Free, is an unfortunate one to end with, especially since the rest of the album is so remarkable. Looking through the record sleeve I was relieved to find that Heasley had not written it.

One thing is for sure with this record, Kurt Heasley knows what he is doing, and shows everyone exactly what years of experience can achieve. This record doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is refreshing to find in its genre, in a sea of pretension. It is a brilliant success. And the future, we can’t even begin to imagine.