The Onion is the follow-up to London-born Lail Arad’s 2011 debut Someone New. For those of us lucky enough to catch Lail’s sold out live shows, her second album is eagerly awaited; as expected, it doesn’t disappoint. Co-producers Eric Hoegemeyer, Yvan Bing and Robin Girod have captured Lail’s perfectly alive and sparkling warm vocals, creating a record that feels like a hug on a summer’s day. With its lush layers of instrumentation, Lail’s varied textured vocals are beautifully complemented.
It starts off with upbeat opener ‘Milo’ – a song that weaves references into literary and French language cultural touchstones. ‘Pickled Love’ sounds like one of Donovan‘s love songs, and that’s what Lail excels at – re-imagining sixties singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan and Donovan. But it’s contemporary in the same vein as Katie Melua her voice is beautiful, conversational and confessional, relaxed and easy, dancing over the notes in a laid back happy manner.
Single ‘When We Grow Up’ crashes in and cranks up the pace; it’s a toe-tapper with its playful line“We don’t know what we will be when we grow up/Hope to know before our time it up.” It’s a game that could last a lifetime. It’s the life of an artist encapsulated lyrically in this rock n roll stomper; an album highlight for sure, on a record full of high points.
With her second single ‘Lay Down’, the lyrics languish as the melody sways while Lail recounts regrettable lays. But then the beat kicks in for the chorus and it’s remarkably upbeat in the face of things. It rocks out like a Rolling Stones song while haunting backing vocals whoop and Jimi Hendrix-style sound effects detail the track.
‘My Love’ is a beautiful piano number – “In this time of global greed/I don’t even know my needs, my love… And we’re jealous of our parents’ generation/And we’re angry with our parents’ generation.” Lail’s music is very much influenced and inspired by sixties/seventies music. On ‘Count With Me’, the pace picks back up. ‘Whirlybird’ sounds like Natalie Joan with its rock ‘n roll tune but with a more sixties American country twist, or maybe even Neil Young.
Album closer and title track ‘‘The Onion’ is the sound of someone wandering, well-travelled and tired. Equally a lullaby as Yayo’s earlier, but this time, it’s Lail who needs to rest and sleep. It’s beautiful, and it ends with the comforting sound of a storm, as heard from inside somewhere warm and safe.
The Onion has layers that can be peeled back to reveal a smorgasbord of late sixties rock ‘n roll and folk-rock influences, all beautifully crafted into a digestible compendium of contemporary cool. It’s the perfect soundtrack to a journey and it arrives just in time for spring when it’s time to start planning our summer travels and soundtracks. It’s a warm feeling of the playful possibilities of life. The album winds a series of stories from life on the road and the people she meets.
The Onion was released on April 15th digitally via Bandcamp and iTunes, and on vinyl via The Vinyl Factory.
