12/14/2023 0 Comments Jr writer goat instrumental![]() Conspicuously idiosyncratic, the “LAKE sound” has slipped through a handful of genre designations, ranging from avant-garde to sophisti-pop. For artists such as Beat Happening, The Microphones, D+, Karl Blau, Kimya Dawson, Mirah, RVIVR, and LAKE, among many others, it was a masterclass in bold experimentation, collaboration, and situational optimism.įor LAKE (today composed primarily of Eli Moore, Ashley Eriksson, and Andrew Dorsett, from a lineup that has included as many as seven official band members, with many more collaborators), each of their nine LPs (spanning the years 2006 through 2020), plus a few miscellaneous singles and appearances on other labels, LAKE has established a relaxed and open-hearted aesthetic where each record has moved them forward as a band, while remaining just a little illusive in terms of an exact definition of their home genre placement. For bands rising up from intensely competitive local music scenes (some of which have come to represent larger-than-life distinctive songwriting and record-label moments), much like what happened in Olympia, Washington, in the late 1980s and 1990s, the heyday for small record labels such as K Records and Kill Rock Stars, it happened for more than one generation of creatives. In music, as in life, creating an independent identity is the thing - essential for survival, but never a given. It’s not over until it’s over! Every LAKE record is a much needed and reassuring reminder that we can be our own masters (of what we make), even if we don’t have all the time in the world (we never do). “Roundelay” is an exciting reminder of how time, while indeed being in short supply for us all, with the right friends and grit, can be pulled back. LAKE remains a dynamic legacy of what musicians can do when they spring forth from a community of cash-strapped experimenters and innovators. The matching instrumental tracks shimmer and dance with character and vitality that make their counterparts ( with lyrics) come into sharper relief. And having this record’s songs in two versions allows for an even deeper study of the emotional impact and structural design behind this band’s work. It would be a mistake to write them off as merely a pop remnant from another time. LAKE has always written from a sophisticated pop perspective, but many of the themes they explore are darker, more serious. Released on vinyl as 11 tracks (but on Bandcamp with a bonus treat of the same tracks in instrumental form, no lyrics, 22 tracks in all), “Roundelay” is the natural and playful progression of the band’s songwriting expansion. ![]() ![]() The latest from LAKE, “ Roundelay” ( OFF TEMPO Records, 2020), is at once an emblematic link to LAKE’s beginnings as well as being a fresh extension of their musical experimentation from their formative years as rookie recording artists, into what today they playfully refer to as “elevator punk” (more about this idea in the review below). Every new record is a study in tradition as much as an exploration of development and regeneration. Is it because of their fierce independence? Because of their spooky improvisational DIY adaptability? Or because of their stubborn refusal to stop doing what they’re doing when the music business spirals ever more into whatever corporate madness might be in vogue? What they do, they do for themselves. There’s also something slightly scary about these bands today (if you live in the Pacific Northwest and write about music), many of whom withstand changes in popular taste as they make new music, release new records (on vinyl) every year or two, tour when they can, and find time to share their skills on friends’ records as well. LAKE formed nearly 15 years ago in Olympia, Washington, was once in the stable of influential artists on the K Records label, and remains central to this perception. LAKE (today being Eli Moore, Ashley Eriksson, and Andrew Dorsett, from a lineup that has stretched to include as many as seven band members), is one such lucky band - still an energetic part of this resilient music legacy. Artists such as Beat Happening, The Microphones, D+, Karl Blau, Kimya Dawson, Mirah, RVIVR, and many more. Some recording artists evoke such a strong feeling for this elasticity of time and opportunity - for limitless possibilities - they defy physics and remain inspired, even as the years grind on, especially if they were lucky enough to be part of a few halcyon music scenes from the days of Pacific Northwest Indie, post-hardcore, and lo-fi dispositions. Once in a lifetime, each of us feels we have all the time in the world. Record: Roundelay (OFF TEMPO Records, 2020) Quick Overview
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