Love In Three Colors is the new three-song bundle by Alex Lilly from Inara George’s Release Me Records imprint. Lilly – who, in addition to her solo career, is a touring musician with the likes of Beck, Lorde, and Ry Cooder – describes the new songs as “a trilogy chronicling a relationship’s disintegration, aftermath, and the sunny side of being free of it.” But don’t be fooled into thinking you’re about to hear a “woe is me” breakup meditation. The New York Times described songs from Lilly’s 2019 album 2% Milk as containing tunes about “heartache,” “rejection” and “pervasive disillusionment,” but concluded that despite it all, they “keep their cool.” This new bundle, produced by Barbara Gruska (Samantha Sidley, The Belle Brigade, Neko Case), does too.
Opener “‘Amuse Me” might be amusing and light, but in reality it’s about being with someone who did not amuse me at all,” Lilly reveals. “He was heavy and earnest the majority of the time… [but] but so many problems in relationships can be solved with a little humor, don’t you think?” Lilly contemplates guilt in the failed relationship on “Terrible Person,” channeling Bjork in the process. “I was looking back and tossing the blame around until I got exhausted,” she says.” But then I realized that I sucked too, and I couldn’t decide who sucked more, so I wrote this song to help me decide.” The set concludes with “Aquamarine,” a song about “unadulterated joy” that was actually the first song she wrote for the bundle. According to Lilly, it’s about “that vivid color return from a long period of drabness and sadness. It feels equal parts Sesame Street and the song you play at the end of the night at a dance party to get everyone to leave.”
RIYL: St. Vincent, Mr. Twin Sister, Tennis, Nite Jewel, the bird and the bee
“L.A. indie-pop singer-songwriter Alex Lilly is spellbinding” – LA Weekly
“Pretty freaking awesome.” – The FADER
“An immediate vintage electronica vibe that would likely be right at home in parts of Cyndi Lauper’s dance-pop repertoire.” -American Songwriter
FCC Clean
Goes For Adds 8/4
Label: Release Me Records
