Lylas - Lessons for Lovers

I received a copy of the upcoming Lylas release, Lessons for Lovers a few days ago and I have been enjoying it immensely since then. For those of you unfamiliar with this band, a short introduction courtesy of The Nashville Scene:

"The Nashville-based band, which includes pedal steel, theremin, piano and cello, build simple arrangements for the macabre, chamber pop originals of singer-guitarist Kyle Hamlett, whose delicate melodies and thematic lyrics suggest the soundtrack to a musical written by Ray Davies and Morrissey."

There are melancholy and eerie undertones throughout Lessons for Lovers...a few songs sound like they could have been written by a Victorian gentleman whose unrequited love is dying from consumption. I could easily imagine Edgar Allen Poe or Victor from Tim Burton's Corpse Bride listening to songs like "Virgin Annie," "Teenage Phantasm," and "Twice on Sunday." That's not to say that Lessons for Lovers is all doom and gloom, a sense of innocence also runs through the album. References to roller skating, birthday cake, and happy holidays can be found alongside laments of sickness and mortality. It makes me think of a childhood version of "The Mask of the Red Death" where the narrator discovers that Death is an unexpected guest at his slumber party and that the Grim Reaper bakes delicous cookies, plays an excellent game of parcheesi, and tells great ghost stories.

Here are two of my favorite songs from the album.
Lylas - Summer in a Sweater
Lylas - Years and Years

You can find more Lylas music at their myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/lylas