REVIEW: The Lilys/Aspera Ad Astra, The Lilys/Aspera Ad
Astra
- Christina Apeles
The Lilys made quite an impression when they first released In the Presence of Nothing in '92 on SpinArt followed by A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns in 1994, establishing themselves as America's answer to shoegazer rock . Their album Zero Population Growth on Darla last year, confirmed frontman Kurt Heasley's musical development in the past decade, shifting away from the heavenly into ambient and psychedelic. Sharing this release with fellow indie band Aspera Ad Astra, The Lilys memorable sound of the past is revived with dreamy harmonies and lush guitar solos on this eight-song lp. With Aspera Ad Astra contributing their modern, ornamented tunes, this collection meshes the nostalgic sound of yesteryear with the future sound of pop.
The Lilys tracks greet listeners with recordings from 93-94, when they were still grounded in music of the time from bands like My Bloody Valentine and the Pale Saints demonstrated in "Timber" with its mellow pace and repetitive guitar structure. "Hymn" is as pretty as it gets, with soft, hushed vocals, coupled with guitar riffs; hypnotic, comforting and mysterious sinking into a layered landscape of ethereal distortion. If 4AD sounds were all you craved for during the nineties, these songs are for you.
Aspera Ad Astra's "Good Beat Down" initiates their impressive portion of the release. It is a creative mix of spaceage noise, timely breaks, and the occassional rockin' segments, where all instruments are let loose. Wayne Coyne of Flaming Lips would surely approve. Aspera Ad Astra are about building momentum in their music, incorporating unique instrumentation to create songs like "Feed the Fantasy" and "Bring Back the Walls," which rock with a dramatic fervor and beauty all their own. The Lilys and Aspera Ad Astra's meeting on this disc is a pleasant exploration of the tender and sonorous sounds of past indie pop into the fresh, experimental appeal of the new.
