Lilys - In The Presence Of Nothing (1992)
Although Lilys formed in Washington D.C. they could easily be mistaken for a British band on this debut album such is the similarity of their sound to the Thames Valley shoegazing scene at the start of the 90’s. The obvious influence here is My Bloody Valentine, right down to the woozy layers of guitar and half-heard vocals. Since My Bloody Valentine have yet to release a follow-up to Loveless after twenty years it would be very cool indeed if it had sounded something like this album. But beneath the lush, dense layers of guitar and thick, prominent bass Lilys had some great songs on offer. ‘Elizabeth Colour Wheel’ is a breath-taking, bittersweet ballad submerged under multiple layers of guitar while the thick guitars and bass of ‘Tone Bender’ add an element of heaviness to the album. The stop-start pedal manipulation of ‘Snowblinder’ combined with the epic twelve-minute drone-fest of ‘The Way Snowflakes Fall’ show that the band had enough creativity and originality to challenge the likes of My Bloody Valentine and Ride. The real highlight though is ‘Threw a Day’ with its bright jangly guitars contrasting with dense distortion to great effect. The sound the band get on this song is huge and leaves you truly amazed.
Lilys are known for changing their sound a lot throughout the years and they would morph into a more dream-pop infused indie rock band on the next full-length album Eccsame The Photon Band yet still produce some captivating music. Choosing a favourite album from them is a very tough job indeed but this one just edges it out for me due to the brilliantly-textured sound the band get on this amazing album.
Recommended Songs: ‘Elizabeth Colour Wheel’, ‘Snowblinder’, ‘Threw a Day’
Mazzy Star - Among My Swan (1996)
Mazzy Star only released three studio albums during their original period together and each of them is deserving of a place in this thread. My personal favourite however is their last album to date Among My Swan. To me this album just feels right, it has a greater degree of consistency than their previous two albums and the gentler production does wonders for the songs on offer here. The star attraction here is of course frontwoman Hope Sandoval’s haunting and beautifully seductive voice but the beautiful and melancholic instrumentation is also key here, especially David Roback’s smooth and well-placed guitars. Acoustic guitars and harmonica play a significant role especially on ‘Flowers In December’, which was a top-40 hit in the UK, and ‘I’ve Been Let Down’. ‘Cry, Cry’ contains some gentle effects-laden electric guitar over some gently-strummed acoustics to add a psychedelic edge to the band’s Americana-tinged alternative rock. The effect is astonishingly beautiful and invokes a feeling of vast open roads and vast open spaces. Hope Sandoval is at her finest on ‘Take Everything’, which also features some guest guitar by William Reid of The Jesus and Mary Chain. It is an incredibly gorgeous song that builds and builds towards a breath-taking conclusion and definitely up there with the band’s greatest moments.
Although Among My Swan was a bit of a departure into a more folkish territory there were still some traces of their earlier sound especially on the psychedelic ‘Umbilical’. It was a superb addition to the band’s unfortunately short discography which you should definitely investigate. They release a new single ‘Common Burn’ in October which was their first new material in fifteen years and we may even see a new album next year. Here hoping it will be just as good as this.
Recommended Songs: ‘Flowers In December’, ‘Cry, Cry’, ‘Take Everything’