It's been three years since Lala Lala, the musical project of Chicago based Lillie West, released her phenomenal sophomore The Lamb. We won't have to wait much longer for a new album as she just announced I Want the Door to Open, a new collection of songs produced by Yoni Wolf (of Why? fame). Considering her last two collaboration with Wolf ("Siren 042" and "Legs, Run") are utterly wonderful, a full of album of West/Wolf songs is sure to be a hit. Alongside the announcement came the first single and video off the album: "Diver".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvQqxRfFedA
"Diver" sees West at her most intense as he voice sounds raw and salient as the enveloping synths and energetic drumming from none other that fellow Chicagoan Nnamdi Ogbonnaya (one of many contributers to the album) fill the massive song. It's pop song through and through that features layers upon layers of meaning, from the personal ("I want total freedom") to the densely literate (references to Sisyphus and Jennifer Egan's Manhattan Beach). The music video, directed be Brielle Brilliant & West, feeds into those references and the "big" feeling of the song. West bashes a lock of ice to get to the key of it all in the middles of a sparse but and sprawling landscape.
I Want the Door to Open will feature contributions from a long list of great artists with tons of local flavor including the aforementioned Ogbonnaya, poet Kara Jackson, OHMME, Adam Schatz of Landlady, Sen Morimoto, Christian Lee Hutson, Kaina Castillo, Meg Duffy, Will Miller, Gia Margaret, Josiah Wolf, and former tourmate Ben Gibbard.
Lala Lala's I Want the Door to Open is set to be released on October 8th on Hardly Art. You can preorder/presave the album at your favorite retailer and streaming service here!
