Album review: Lauren Lakis sculpts ethereal brand of shoegaze with songwriter chops on new album A Fiesta And A Hell
Where were you in 1991? Me, I wasn’t born yet. But I know some stuff a lot of people care about happened then. With releases like My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Methodrone, and Slowdive’s Just for a Day released into the ether, history was being made. While some bands that pioneered neo-psychedelia were taking pages out of the shoegaze bible, a universe of music has followed these influences that sparked a musical movement still going strong. For musicians like Lauren Lakis, the guitar-obsessive lifestyle of indie-gaze isn’t just about the noise but the high-stakes lyricism refined on a track-to-track basis. On upcoming new album, A Fiesta and a Hell, the Los Angeles-Austin musician offers potent song structures and celestial soundscapes that pitch her discernment with modern greed and corrupt world leadership.
Lakis, originally from Baltimore, is now based in Austin and Los Angeles. The singer/songwriter is gearing up to release her third full-length album, sounding both more refined yet riskier than ever before. The Austin-LA artist continues her trajectory from her previous two releases, making herself sound more present while pushing the sonic envelope on fuzzed-out instrumental and solo sections with a purpose. Tracks like “Fear of God” on Lakis’ previous full-length effort show that her craft has not only been elevated over a steady stream of releases since her 2018 album, Ferocious but there is a sense of development that manifested an identity of its own that fits right in with Austin’s trippy sector of the city’s music scene.
On “Terror Tears,” the Austin singer makes a battle cry. In a rapidly changing world, the intent must be to protect those who create. Assume there’s vital creativity that the Austin music scene needs to stay afloat. The constant creative output of musicians like this keeps fans guessing, with local promoters tapping into the music that fans are thirsting for at every club gig any day of the week. In that case, the prolific nature and otherwise nurturing of an artist’s output allows them to produce the work that helps assemble the dedicated hive of music fans they need to thrive. For artists in the shoegaze/post-punk vein in Austin, there’s a robust level of guitar band mania that demands the presence of its cult following. The energetic guitar noises and ghostly vocal delivery on this track bring the vibes a listener should expect across this record to the forefront, with the guitar pedal and wall-of-sound orchestra, front and center.
“Watch You Run” bodes well as a psych rock, shoegaze overture. This one feels like an Olympic dive into Lakis’ world, with a slow-build instrumental featuring Lakis’ energized vocal delivery, reminiscent of Cocteau Twins or the ever-so-recognizable cadences of “Only Shallow” by My Bloody Valentine. The opening low-end guitar riff also scratches that harrowing psych gaze itch, which might remind some of the haunting trances of “You on the Run” by Austin Psych rock professors, The Black Angels. It’s also refreshing to hear the vocal capabilities of Lakis, who wades through this record with a focused delivery that carries the effects-laden instrumentals with fiery, melodious intent.
The second half of this record is where Lakis showcases tight technical proficiencies, guitar solos, and lengthy instrumental jams that show the artist exploring her element uniquely. The shreddy guitar elements of “Keep Your Woman Down” and the elegant guitar melodies that seal the outro of “Leave Your Window Open” also make for a harmonious portion of the recording, making the listener bask in a world of fuzzy guitars and choral vocal passages. This is all not to say that the straight-ahead punk sensibilities of “Loud Voices” don’t hit hard. The passionate guitar strumming across this track has you hanging on Lakis’ vocals as the drums bob along on what is probably the catchiest track on the record. The vocal breaks before the chorus kicks in are also a fun glorification of all the sounds pitched thus far on this new release.
Remixes of three of the album’s tracks also appear on the record. With contributions from fellow Austin band Ringo Deathstarr and Canadian noisegaze act Shallow Waves, the two acts help Lakis sculpt her shoegaze post-punk spectacle with incendiary intent. A Fiesta And A Hell releases on October 6 (tomorrow) via Green Witch Records. The New York City-based independent label has an incredible roster, containing the likes of Pearl Earl, Pale Dian, and Shallow Waves.
Lakis will celebrate the release of A Fiesta And A Hell on October 13 at Red River Cultural District haunt Swan Dive, presented by Mas Music Records. The late-night gig will also feature fellow Austin bands Alexalone, Daydream Twins, and SKLOSS. Advance tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite, and door tickets for $5 with an Austin City Limits Festival wristband.
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