LAKE's new album Let's Build A Roof [KLP213], produced by Northwest
legend Karl Blau, is sweet, funky and nostalgic - a paragon of psychedelic
pop. Their previous album, Oh, the Places We'll Go, contained lighter,
more upbeat numbers, but its theme of wonder and idealism
foreshadowed the next album to come. Let's Build a Roof is like a
travelogue of the places they went, the stories they encountered on the
way, and the memories that were unearthed from those experiences, be
they good or bad.
Eli Moore and Ashley Eriksson's radiating songwriting chemistry serves as
the foundation of Let's Build a Roof. Their retro-jingly pop aesthetic is
further fleshed out with thicker instrumentation (featuring a rotating cast of
synths, keys, guitar, flutes and assorted percussions) and tempo shifts that
fracture into kaleidoscopic sounds and harmonies.
Every track stands out as a unique gem. The album opens suddenly with
the rolling, pulsating song 'Breathing.' A bell rings, a door opens, and an
ominous chord is struck on the piano. The strong force of a pop journey is
about to begin. Like a storybook, each song unfolds new characters and
different walks of life, or death, as is the case in the dubby, slow-groove
track 'Madagascar.' Although there are many divergent styles on the
record, the elements that tie the songs together are in the images and
lyrical themes; like the image of the collapsing home, or of fear itself.
The second song, 'Gravel,' with its marimbas and chilling, punchy horns, is
an African funk-infused portrait of a fragile figure caught up in a whirlwind
of responsibilities. 'Sing 99 and 90,' a rendition of a medieval folk song, is a
trip to the past with 70s rock influences and call and response harmonies.
Similarly, 'Loose Wind' is an excellent example of LAKE's history as a
Fleetwood Mac cover band. An alternately bubbly, prog-ditty, 'Winking
Sign,' juxtaposes an unlucky dining experience with a little girl afraid of
murky water. And if the stories start to make you feel like life is hopeless, or
you too have become overwhelmed with life's terrors, you will feel a
change of heart with the motivational disco-soul song, 'Don't Give Up.'
Without sacrificing the wonder and childlike beauty that has been the
face of LAKE for the past four years, Let's Build a Roof proves that wonder
and beauty aren't just kids stuff. This is LAKE's most sophisticated record to
date.
Tracklist
1. Breathing
2. Gravel
3. Madagascar
4. Sing 99 and 90
5. Acorn
6. The Roof Caves In
7. Loose Wind
8. Winking Sign
9. Remote Control Cars
10. Don't Give Up
11. Christmas Island
12. Collapsing Homes
