Shannon Lay
August
Release Date: Aug 23, 2019
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock
Record label: Sub Pop
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Album Review: August by Shannon Lay
Great, Based on 2 Critics
Based on rating 7.7/10
August marks a series of milestones for Shannon Lay. It's her debut for the Sub Pop label, and her first solo album recorded with fellow Angeleno Ty Segall. Its release arrives in tandem with the two-year anniversary of Lay quitting her day job, a coveted turning point not every musician reaches, and one she's immortalized in the album's title. Outside of making gorgeous folk music, Lay also plays in the punk quartet Feels and in Segall's Freedom Band, and the ease between her and Segall is palpable.
Opinion: Very Good
When someone creates an imprint especially for your release, said release must be fairly good. And so Shannon Lay's 'Living Water' came out on Kevin Morby's imprint in 2017. Now signed to Sub Pop, Lay hones her quietly confident sound and moves towards a new directness on 'August', its title a reference to the month she packed in the day job. Being able to devote herself to music allows Lay to explore two not exactly congruent styles: scuzzy garage-punk as part of LA four-piece Feels (she's their guitarist) and here, tender psychy folk-pop.
'August'
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