Though ostensibly a band, the Lilys are really the result of the creative direction and musical output of one Kurt Heasley, an enigmatic songwriter whose obtuse lyrics and sometimes bizarre demeanor have helped the American gain a cult following in the UK. After a decade of shifting lineups and musical directions (including shoegazer and British Invasion), Lilys returns with precollection (Manifesto Records), an assemblage of lofty stream-of-consciousness tunes that channel ’60s psychedelia and late-’80s Britpop. Titles like “Will My Lord Be Gardening,” “Meditations on Speed” and “Mystery School Assembly” often sound like a Kinks 45 running on 33 speed. But what would you expect from a man who saddled his children with the Klingon-sounding names Tayt Kay and Karger Tulk?
This article appears in Jun 12-18, 2003.
