The La's

Essential Albums

  • The La's
    The La's
    The La's

    Alongside acts like Happy Mondays and the Smiths, Liverpool’s succinctly, yet perfectly named the La’s are amongst the definitive British rock acts of the late ‘80s. At a time when British rock was still reeling from the colossal impact of the punk revolution of the late ‘70s, the La’s emerged with a set of sharply composed, self- confident pop classics on their 1987 debut. The sweetly melodic, Velvet Underground-aping “There She Goes” is in many ways the band’s defining moment, but from the woozy faux-vaudeville of “Freedom Song” to the frantic mod outrage of “I Can’t Sleep,” The La’s is jam packed with carefully crafted radio-ready pop leavened by literate songwriting and an impressively fierce punk bite. One of the few out-and-out masterpieces to emerge from England in the late ‘80s, and an important influence on the subsequent Britpop movement of the early ‘90s The La’s is a perfect wonder.

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About The La's

When the La's released their debut album in 1990, it made immediate waves in the British pop scene, as well as on American college radio. Drawing from the hook-laden, ringing guitars of mid-'60s British pop as well as the post-punk-pop of the Smiths, the La's' self-titled first album -- heralded by the hit single "There She Goes" -- had a timeless, classic feel. It seemed like effortless music, yet that was not the case. From their inception, lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Lee Mavers was a perfectionist with a nearly obsessive eye for detail. Consequently, the La's were never able to totally fulfill their promise.

ORIGIN
Liverpool, England
FORMED
1983
GENRE
Alternative

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