Customer Reviews

The Lilys/Aspera Ad Astra

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A split CD with fellow Philly band Aspera Ad Astra. The Lilys material stems from late '93, early '94 sessions, after A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns and before (or possibly concurrent with) Eccsame the Photon Band. The Lilys' tunes are quite "Eccsamey" in their similarly subdued, emotive way. Coby has more of a My Bloody Valentine derived friskiness, whining guitar and descending structure. Timber feels like a lighter, skating style of Ginger with its particularly familiar riff and change. Even with its suitably repetitive phrasing, Hymn is more familiar territory, as is the opener Elsa. Of the Aspera Ad Astra tracks, Good Beat Down showscases a bit of a madcap Mercury Rev/Rollerskate Skinny affinity. Atmospherically shuddery with estranged, shuddery vocal. AAA has nice instincts of their own. Bring Back the Walls is a standout. At times a more strident guitar-driven Death Cab For Cutie but with finely honed, gnashing chops that would be out of place there I think. This sampler/lost tapes affair is a mixed bag and way too short unfortunately. It does the trick as an introduction to Aspera Ad Astra (the tracks were recorded in Feb of 2000) but isn't the most righteous purchase for someone looking into the Lilys for the first time. Lilys enthusiasits only please.

For a bio on AAA and other info check out tigerstylerecords.com .

4 very classically lilys-sounding lilys tracks--no bad thing. but not classic lilys.

for the completist, for the most part. but if you are like me you have to have it all!

aspera are really sleepy in a not interesting way.

other bands to investigate in this post MBV vein: Idaho, the black watch, swirlies...

This album isn't really new, it's a split EP with new tracks by Aspera Ad Astra and 4 Lilys tracks recorded in Philadelphia in 1993 & 1994. Still, it's nothing we've really heard before from Lilys. Musically it falls somewhere in between A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns and Esscame The Photon Band. Fortunately, the Aspera Ad Astra tracks pick up where Lilys seemed to leave off with a pleasing sound not unlike recent Ladybug Transistor stuff you may have heard. Overall, the Lilys tracks are sweet, catchy shoegazer rock from yesteryear. Unfortunately they don't seem to work on me the way that they did back then.

The Lilys have always been a great band. This record is no exception. If you like shoegaze/dreampop stuff, you'll definitely dig the lilys.

The AAA songs, however, are very slow and boring. There is an element of the Flaming Lips here, but hardly the energy the lips have. It is just very drab and very boring. However, I will say that their tour EP that insound put out is well worth getting...it is really good...these tracks just didn't live up to what I hoped they would be.

Aspera ad Astra/The Lily's most recent split album had to be the most amazing piece of work that a group has released lately. It's INSANE!!! and deserves your attention. When i first heard it, I just knew that I had to share my joy, so please go get it..it deserves a listen!!