Services (for the soon to be departed) reviews

SERVICES (FOR THE SOON TO BE DEPARTED):
THE TAYT OVERTURE
(PRIMARY / CHE / ELEKTRA) CD EP

by Jon Gabriel

Lilys is a band that isn't afraid to venture off into radically new musical horizons. From the MBV-induced warp of "In the Presence of Nothing" to the meta-drone of "Eccsame the Photon Band" to last year's shifty bubble-gum masterpiece "Better Can't Make Your Life Better," Lilys continue to rampage through various genres, completely redefining them as they go. Their latest effort is the infectious "Services (for the Soon to be Departed): The Tayt Overture." As on "Better*," über-Lily Kurt Heasley returns to the '60s, but it's a few years later this time around. How to describe it? Ray Davies guest stars on the Banana Splits Show? Austin Powers joins the Beach Boys? Whatever it is, the music pops and grooves wonderfully beneath Heasley's enigmatically absurd lyrics. He'll have you singing along to lines like "there's a new generation of spacemen" and "brother man, philanthropy is dead" as if you were singing something as obvious as "I wanna hold your hand." And with songs like "The Energy Channel (Tayt Variation)" and "The Gravity Free Atmosphere of MSA" Heasley shows he's not only an accomplished popsmith, but also the creator of the oddest titles in rock history. But the late '60s influences only go so far to define this music -- Lilys still suffer from massive attention-deficit disorder, with sublime results. The songs build a catchy hook, then abruptly drop it for two or three new hooks before tossing the original back in where you least expect it. This deconstruction makes it nearly impossible to tell when one song ends and the other begins without studiously watching your CD display. Still, as with every Lilys recording to date, this EP requires a few listens before the brilliance of these gems reveal their shine. Even though "Services*" only clocks in at 15 minutes, it'll have you dancing around your room like an extra in "Beach Blanket Bingo."

View the original online review from Milkbone right here

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