Lake – Giving & Receiving
LAKE hail from Olympia, Washington, a town that is quite well known in indie circles for producing what now are considered classic bands from 1990s, including Sleater-Kinney, Unwound, Team Dresch and even Nirvana. You’d think hard rockin’ would just be in the blood of Olympia youth, but LAKE takes a different approach, even though they are signed to legendary indie record label K. LAKE’s sound is nothing like those bands or what we usually associate with indie rock/pop in the states. The band eschews rock more or less all together and seems more in line with modern/post modern soul similar to a band like The Whitest Boy Alive. In truth I haven’t heard much of their prior releases so I can’t compare how their sound has developed, but in bits and pieces on this record they definitely mine some serious gold, especially when Ashley Eriksson is singing. Eriksson has a bit of Victoria Bergsman, maybe a bit of Laetitia Sadier in her vocals, though they remain distinctive in her phrasing and accent.
While there are several rather lovely tracks on this album, “Giving & Receiving” is one of the best, not just on this album, but that I’ve heard off of any album all year (I’m always fascinated in how quickly I know a great song when I hear it…after one listen I was absolutely sure that this would be in my year end list of Best of 2011). It has a very early summer, lazy slightly hazy sunday afternoon vibe with its slower than mid-tempo, but still not that slow and soulful beat. Eriksson’s vocals caress the listener with their sweetness, even though lyrically the song seems to point toward a more downbeat mood. I especially like the moment at the literal half point of the song, just before the tempo change that accompanies the “There used to be fish in the Ocean” lyrics, with all those layers of keyboards, subtle notes from the horns and Eriksson’s just slight humming in the background. Just plain gorgeous.