La Sera - La Sera
- Written by Rob Barker
When it seems as though every band member has one, side projects are hardly a remarkable thing. The bands formed are often ill-fated, with their creator realising that they were, after all, better off staying where they were.
La Sera, however, is the polar opposite to this. Katy Goodman, aka Kickball Katy, undoubtedly plays a great role in Vivian Girls, adding highs to the band’s vocal harmonies and adding a serene quality to the band’s otherwise raw sound. With her new project, La Sera, things are different.
Rather than offering a contrast to the rest of the music, Goodman’s voice works in harmony with it, with '50s-style clean, reverb-soaked guitars and laidback drum beats creating the perfect vehicle for her ethereal vocals. La Sera's retro credentials are set in stone by the production, with layer upon layer of sound forming together with almost Spector-like levels of density. With such lush production and Goodman’s distinctive tones the album does have a strong sense of continuity, verging on the samey.
This similarity could be down to the short time that the album was written in, with Goodman penning the album’s tracks in just two weeks. Still, there are differences present, you just might have to look a little harder to find them.
La Sera will undoubtedly impress fans of Vivian Girls and All Saints Day, but their reach goes further. Thanks to a summery, classic sound, Goodman has managed to create a rare thing, a record that, on some level, the majority will enjoy.