ok i lied/ it wasnt an accident

When one reads Nashville, one thinks of serious country folksy twangs.. or according to this wiki: the " hollywood of christian entertainment industry". But oh no, there will always be a few apples in the barrel that choose to stand out on purpose.

Introducing Lylas ( go wiki their name, but dont ask me whether that's really where they got it from) with " Bit By A Witch", lifted from a Halloween special they did. At my first pass at this song I simply did not know what to make of it. The tune managed to sound noddingly folksy yet cutefully twee at the same time, but whatever it was the result was delightful. The ' dear diary' start should be a classic, never before had I thought a first line like this could actually make it.. plus I think it would be hilarous to see this song live.

This song does really stand out, and rightfully so. Such freshness and originality is reassuring, and I cant exactly place my finger on it but the kind of cheerful irony in the song is utterly enjoyable.

LYLAS - BIT BY A WITCH

Lylas lists ' christmas songs' as one of its influences on myspace.

way down the lights are dimmer

ooooh funky electric guitar with ominous piano chord intro wins all! * guilty pleasure*

The first thing that struck me was that this song sorta sounded very Coldplayish in terms of its ' epicness' and the singer's voice hinted at the same English drawl as Chris Martin. Plus the lyrics are equally foggily vague ( " now i'm looking out, I'm looking in/ way down the lights are dimmer" now where did that come from?). Thankfully, Thirteen Senses does not turn out as draggingly dour, perhaps because their pop sensibilities and influences like The Flaming Lips/ REM/ and such remind them to polish and add a little vibrancy to their music.

The soundscape is lush, but not too much so it escapes from degenerating into a emo forgettable mess. Though I'm not usually a massive fan of swoony piano arena rock, this song was simply too catchy and filled with so many hooks to pass up. To tell the truth, for me, the best parts of the song are the bits where there's no singing, so make of that what you will.

I discovered Thirteen Senses through the music mag Mojo, which featured an upcoming song from them ( 'Follow Me' - which is highly recommended too) on their CD of " 15 handpicked tracks of hurt, pain and despair" in celebration of Joy Division. Enjoy.

THIRTEEN SENSES - INTO THE FIRE
THIRTEEN SENSES - FOLLOW ME

check them out on myspace here.