Adam KeysLiily – I Can Fool Anybody in This Town (Flush Records)
Youthful LA alt rockers Liily grabbed the attention of the world in 2018, with Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1 naming them in his bands to watch out for. This mention, along with a world tour with Canadian five piece Glorious Sons, has catapulted the ballsy Californians into the spotlight, and it is fair to say their debut EP has not disappointed.
I Can Fool Anybody in This Town opens in gloomy lo-fi fashion with Toro, before the tempo lifts and the fast paced shreds of Sam De La Torre come to life in true ferocious alt rock style. The track screams of the energy of youth, and draws influences from many of the great alt rock and indie bands of the noughties, with nods to Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkey and The Strokes giving the band a familiar, but fresh sound.
With Sepulveda Basin, the band’s latest single, Liily bring a much more measured, mature approach, with Maxx Mornado’s cymbals carrying the rhythm of the track, with Charlie Anastasis delivering a consistent hypnotic bass line throughout. This approach gives charismatic front man Dylan Nash freedom to express himself vocally, and leads nicely into the EP’s full-blooded title track, which again sees Nash take control of a fast paced, key infused number that features a brilliantly clean production, but also captures elements of the band’s raucous live shows.
As the EP enters the final third, Liily appear to be full of confidence; a band that have nailed their sound. Both Nine and Sold are full of energy, drive and passion, and scream of a band that are super tight, and ready to do something special. With these tracks, the band have the confidence to let Maxx Mornado experiment with his sound, and it pays off, with intriguing patterns mixing expertly the guitars, keys and Nash’s vocals to give a Frank Carter style venom, that is going to lift the roof off venues all over the world in 2019.
Liily may have only arrived, but these kids have something special. They have nailed their sound, and they have an accomplished feel about them already. If you have not done so already, check them out now!