On Mar. 17, Oregonians entered the small but cozy venue of Polaris Hall to grab a drink and gather around a warmly lit stage for an evening show. They were there to see indie artist Lillie West, known by her band name Lala Lala.
I was introduced to Lala Lala during my junior year of high school and slowly grew to love the calming air of West’s album The Lamb and the gritty instrumental and child-like lyrics of Sleepyhead. West’s most recent album, Heaven 2, blends smooth and static electronics to create an echoey and emotional ambiance. After listening to the album when it dropped in February, I was delighted to hear West would be coming to Portland.
Opening for Lala Lala was Lots of hands, who I had the opportunity to speak with after the show. Describing themselves as a “DIY, indie and ambient, folky rock band,” Lots of hands is based in the United Kingdom and run primarily by musicians Billy Woodhouse and Elliot Dryden.
“When we play in the UK, we’ve got a lot of musician friends, so we invite them along and have a backing band,” says Woodhouse. “But when we play America, it’s more stripped down and just the bones of the songs.”
Despite being limited in band members, Lots of hands blended their live music skillfully with their backing tracks. Staying relatively quiet between songs, Lots of hands gave the show a gentle start, their music creating a late-night melancholic atmosphere. Although I wasn’t familiar with them at all, the resonation that Lots of hands had with many of the audience members was obvious as people swayed to the beat and filmed the performance.
After Lots of hands finished their last song, they broke into the crowd to speak with fans. The stage was soon bathed in a curtain of blue light to prepare for Lala Lala’s entrance. Suddenly West and the rest of her band were onstage and a vivid flight of piano burst through the speakers. My ears perked up as “Car Anymore,” one of my favorite tracks from Heaven 2, began to play.
West followed with many songs from her new album. She sang in a melodramatic but powerful way, accompanied by the beating of drums, heartbeat of the bass and soulful voice of the saxophone. Each song held a soft and river-like flow, with West’s voice serving as a grounding substrate in all of the noise.
Once and awhile West would pause to speak jokingly with the crowd, talking about her tour and the random thoughts her mind had wandered to mid-song. West expressed her tiredness and was very friendly and relatable. She often caused laughter among her listeners and generated an intimate environment.
Although the majority of Lala Lala’s set consisted of songs from West’s most recent album, they did play a few tracks from The Lamb and I Want The Door To Open. I was not expecting her to play “Water Over Sex,” but was thrilled when I immediately recognized the beginning drum beats.
West finished her show off with the slow pulse of “Wyoming Dirt,” an empyrean wave of sound vibrating across the venue floor. It was the perfect end to a relaxed but sensational show.
As a frequent listener of Lala Lala, I really enjoyed her concert. It was nice to hear songs like “Does This Go Faster,” which I had listened to on repeat after its release in October. It was interesting to hear the subtle differences that came out in her music as she played live, though I do wish her band had played more of West’s older songs. I would absolutely recommend this concert to any Lala Lala fan, as well as anyone looking for a fantastic and laid back way to spend their evening.
