Psychadelic strange -- love makes your life better

THE LILYS

Better can't make your life better (Chè)

There are a lot of people stuck in the '60s. Some sympathize with the era's politics and altruistic ideologies, some long for the free-love lifestyle, but most of them just like the music. And for good reason.

The Lilys are '60s freaks too, or at least guitarist and lead singer Kurt Heasley is. The band, currently located in Boston, sound like the Beatles in their psychedelic stage--somewhere between Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour. Their latest album, Better can't make your life better, is a medley of 10 perfectly instrumented models of chronic pop with easy falsetto vocals, Doors-inspired keyboard pattering, the Monkees' tamborining, a sprinkling of Pavement's strange heart, and a group dynamic that coats the whole thing like Pepto.

The Lilys are an undeniably guitar-heavy band, but what else can be expected from a cross-country-running, gig bag-toting, relationship-ending lead guitarist? After six years, a half-dozen states, and 27 former band members, Heasley has found a home and a new crop of talent, including Michael Deming, Thom Monahan, and Aaron Sperske. Herein lies the ultimate irony of the Lilys's smooth harmonies and fluid musicality: this particular permutation has been together only about as long as it takes to cut a 10-song, 40-minute, perfectly pleasing album.

The problem with comparing the Lilys to the Beatles, although to ignore the similarities would be irresponsible, is two-fold. First, such a comparison undermines the singular integrity of their music, and second, it makes everybody think, "Oh, so they sound like Oasis." The Lilys sound nothing like Oasis. But this is not surprising since Heasley (like many of us) doesn't think Oasis sounds anything like the Beatles. He'd be more
inclined to say that Nirvana, with their loud, self-abasing guitars, descended from the spirit of
the mid-Beatles years, rather
than the petty pretty boys from the U.K.

The opening track, "Who is moving," begins with a simple riff from Heasley's electric 12-string, followed by three notes of a bass guitar on wind-up, the riff again, then a warm-up of drums. All three elements build, and at the climax Heasley's airy, but solid voice (which recalls Pavement's Stephen Malkmus) moves the tune into pop-rock songdom. "Hope you're free and better now your ceiling's gone, / Hope you're feeling better now your roof ain't on." Lyrics that might come with a not-so-subtle middle finger
gesture from lesser bands are sincere here, sort of like music of the early '60s. On "The Sammael Sea" Heasley and
band mates sing together, "Are you getting our daily advice as we are now transmitting / only to you / we just like to help / it's what we do." The tune is short--it cuts off at
just under two minutes--but the
point has been made. Heasley
likes us (Gallagher doesn't.)
He's our friend.

The Lilys use what they like of the past, but fuck with the rest. This is no cover band; there is a freshness in the Lilys's crunching, punchy guitar that is absent in many imitation brands.

Imagine this: Ringo gets a shave and a haircut, then tightens up and pares down the drums; John lays off the drugs; Paul leaves the 1950s cheese-ball lyrics behind and follows John's crooked lead; and George, well, George can chill. You have imagined the rudimental concept of the Lilys. Well, maybe you can't really imagine anything anymore.

--Julia Dahl

Back to A & E...