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Mar 04, 2011 Issue #35 - Winter 2011 - Death Cab for Cutie By Frank Valish

La Sera is the new project from Vivian Girls’ bassist/vocalist Katy Goodman. Goodman also moonlighted last year with Cat Power/Delta ’72’s Gregg Foreman as All Saints Day. In contrast to the garage rock of Vivian Girls and the melodic haze of All Saints Day, La Sera brings Goodman’s sense of melody and song to the fore in 12 tracks that often hark back to the days of ’60s girl groups and Brill Building song craft. Such tracks as “Left This World,” “Devils Hearts Grow Gold,” and the one-minute closer “Lift Off” strip all the inessential (and often distracting) elements from the songs, instead choosing to highlight Goodman’s angelic voice and delicate knack for melody. “Sleeptalking” benefits from three-part harmonies and classic song structure, and wraps it all up in less than two minutes, while “Never Come Around” is filled out with the lushness of chiming guitars, driving drums, and elegant keyboard. The latter ends up sounding like something Phil Spector would salivate over, with Goodman playing Ronnie in Phil’s Ronettes. Even on a song such as “Dove Into Love,” which is lo-fi and minimalist in its instrumentation, Goodman’s vocals seem to cut through the smoky atmospherics with a melodic line that is simple but transcendent. (www.myspace.com/iamkatygoodman)

Author rating: 6/10