PLUS ONE MAGAZINE: Lazy Day 'Open the Door' (ALBUM REVIEW)

Lazy Day’s first full lengther Open the Door is the culmination of a ten year journey by Tilly Scantlebury, formerly of Brighton band Hella Better Dancer. An art historian by day, they have built on previous lo(wer)-fi releases, to curate a tightly bound and far slicker collection this time.

Album opener and previous single release Killer starts tentatively and builds to a driving beat. It weaves a story that according to Scantlebury was inspired on the surface by the tv series Hannibal, but on a deeper level, for their desire for queer representation. It’s a confident start, not a million miles away from St Vincent’s more angular moments. Latest single Getting Good has more of the stuttering guitar Lazy Day is known for, but with a fresher, leaner production, tackling the endless frustration of being good at those things we know are bad for us. Album highlights are Concrete, which, through carefully built layers of sound, manages to perfectly capture the claustrophobia of relationships that weigh us down; and the beachy, swooping Alright, a dream pop triumph that positively pours from the speaker.

Ultimately this feels like a piece of work that isn’t about the highlights, but about the whole. There are no filler tracks, everything feels purposeful, a piece of work that needs to be consumed in its intended order. The album feels like an exploration; of gender, cultural and musical identity; with open hearted lyrics and lush, colourful production. A joyous aural treat.

Words by Angi Strafford

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Pre order

Tracklisting

1. Killer

2. Getting Good

3. Squirm

4. Strangest Relief

5. Bright Yellow

6. Concrete

7. Falling Behind

8. Alright