-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Ambient * Ethereal *
Artist..: Lilies On Mars
Album...: Dot to Dot
GENRE....: Indie
STYLE....: Shoegaze, Synth-pop
LABEL....: Saint Marie SCENE.....: 2015-02-04
BITRATE..: 263 kbps avg STORE.....: 2014-00-00
ENCODER..: LAME 3.98.4 -V0 TRACKS....: 13
SIZE.....: 81.32MB SOURCE....: CD
URL..: http://liliesonmars.com/
- TRACKLIST
1 See You Sun 4:12
2 Dream of Bees 3:08
3 SIDE ABCDE 5:27
4 No Way 3:17
5 Entre-Temps 2:33
6 Oceanic Landscape 3:21
7 Interval 1 1:09
8 Impossible Child 3:26
9 So Far Dear America 3:45
10 Interval 2 0:59
11 Sugar Is Gone 4:30
12 For the First 3 Years 3:41
13 Martians 3:06
Total Playtime: 42:34
In their third full-length album, Dot to Dot, multi-instrumentalists Lisa
Masia and Marina Crisofalo take us on a journey through '60s-esque
psychedelic folk and hazy shoegazed pop. The album drifts into a more mature
sound for the duo as drummer Valentina Magaletti joins the lineup. The
acoustic drumming propels the tracks more into pop territory and away from
the experimental folk that defined the Lilies on Mars 2008 self-titled
release and 2011Æs Wish You Were A Pony. Dot to Dot makes its official debut
on Saint Marie Records today (February 11th), and EARMILK brings you the
entirety of Dot to Dot for your streaming pleasure.
From the opening track, ôSee You Sunö, Lilies On Mars sets the tone and eases
you into an album of whimsically hypnotic soundscapes. As a duo, Lilies on
Mars is known for experimenting with whatever instruments they can get their
hands on. Vintage organs, synthesizers, and an array of percussion and
effects appear on the album which has an overall enchanted, cinematic feel.
ôDream of Beesö was the first single we heard from Dot to Dot. One of the
most solid tracks on the album, it sends a whirlwind of echoing
instrumentation and melting vocals to your ears. The result sounds similar to
dream pop acts like Au Revoir Simone, Beach House, or The Postmarks. Suiting
the romanticized sci-fi vibes of the track, the video follows a cyborg in her
search to find the meaning life.
Another highlight on the album is ôOceanic Landscapeö, which features Italian
singer-songwriter, composer, and filmmaker Franco Battiato. The lushness and
serenity perfectly reflect the name of the track as it sails through ambient
synths and vocals that sound as though they were projected underwater. The
melancholy and eerie air surrounding the track prove to be gorgeous. It was
picked by Simon Raymonde, co-founder of Bella Union and member of Cocteau
Twins, as the ôTrack of the Weekö on his radio show.
There are only a few standalone tracks on the album, but in its entirety, Dot
to Dot is a beautiful work of art. It shows growth in the Lilies on Mars
sound while still maintaining the avant-garde soundscapes that first brought
them on to the scene.
*
Lilies on Mars aren't as well-known as a group that has collaborated with
artists as diverse and prominent in their fields as Fennesz and Franco
Battiato could be, but Dot to Dot might change that. On the band's third
album, Lisa Masia and Marina Cristofalo craft a set of songs that are
significantly more polished than 2008's self-titled debut and 2011's Wish You
Were a Pony. Both of those albums contrasted awkwardness and beauty with a
particular -- and peculiar -- charm, but here they give the haze of their
earlier work more focus. New drummer Valentina Magaletti plays a major part
in this, helping tracks like "See You Sun" feel as much like adventures as
pop songs and providing a loping backbone for Masia and Cristofalo's flights
of fancy, which seem to use dream logic to determine where to go next. By
contrast, "Dream of Bees" casts an enveloping haze that gives the feeling
that the song is about to achieve liftoff at any moment. Here and throughout
Dot to Dot, the trio delivers multifaceted and often fascinating dream pop
that recalls many of the style's greats. "Impossible Child" boasts spun-sugar
soprano vocals reminiscent of Lush's Miki Berenyi, "No Way"'s luminous
keyboards and '60s pop-inspired beat evoke Broadcast, and "Sugar Is Gone"'s
eerie longing underscores why Blonde Redhead is one of the band's main
influences. Fortunately, while it may be easy to point out Lilies on Mars'
roots, the way they express those sounds never feels too obvious or like a
hodgepodge of other people's ideas. Elsewhere on Dot to Dot, Lilies on Mars
prove they have plenty of ideas of their own: they warm up "Side ABCD"'s
wintry pop with sighing choruses, bring the drama with "Oceanic Landscape," a
duet with longtime collaborator Battiato, and show they haven't lost any of
their experimentalism with more abstract moments like "Martians." Dot to Dot
isn't just about connecting the dots within Lilies on Mars' sound; it also
shows that the band is becoming more versatile and eloquent with each
release.
*
IÆve spent a lot of time this week spinning this English (by way of Italy)
duoÆs enchanting new record, and itÆs sucked me in like so many other Saint
Marie releases. Label owner Wyatt Parkins has a knack for sniffing out the
best talent in shoegaze/dream pop/ambient territory, and these ladies are no
exception.
Drop the stylus on any one track, and you might hear elegant echoes of Air,
Thievery Corporation, or their own brand of dreamy spy chick soundscapes.
Honestly, they have such an awesome brand of space age bachelor pad music
that you canÆt help but be charmed and enthralled. These ladies (Lisa Masia
and Marina Cristofalo) have light and airy voices, but arenÆt afraid to toss
thick layers of effects on top to creep you out a bit. Witness the cool way
they twist their vocals on closing track ôMartiansö for just a small sample
of what LOM can do. With help from Valentina Magaletti (Fanfarlo/The
Oscillation) on percussion, and guest vocals from Franco Battiato (a popular
Italian singer/songwriter) on ôOceanic Landscapeö, theyÆve served up an
embarrassment of sonic riches.
The gorgeous ôSugar is Goneö is perhaps my favorite track, evoking recent
bands such as Still Corners and Beach House, only with their own delicate
take on retro space pop. Vintage instruments coupled with futuristic washes
of warm, electronic sound create a unique soundscape for throwing off the
winter chill and basking in the light cast by this wonderful release.
-=- SHGZ -=-
P.S.
** Thanks ***
*** BCC FNT IPC SSR ***
*** For Knowing Where The Music Is At ***
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* NuHS we miss you! *
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