Posted on: June 3, 2020 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

To say that April has been an exceptionally good month for indie musicians and their fans just might be too big an understatement to make. With new releases coming from across the underground spectrum, it can be difficult to keep up with the true cream of the crop – but among those I’ve personally reviewed lately, Lily Vakili Band definitely shines above the rest. Vakili’s new song, “Facial Recognition Technology,” exhibits much of the same melodic moxie that she capitalized on so epically in her debut album Oh Alright back in 2018, but with a slightly more powerful lyrical twist. In this single, and its music video, the burgeoning singer, songwriter and frontwoman shows us more compositional dexterity than she did in the whole of Oh Alright without overstepping her creative bounds. Straddling multiple grooves with surgical precision, the wild animal that we were first introduced to only two years ago is instrumentally tamed here, but none of her aggression is absent from her verses. The arrangement is solid, the beats are blinding, but more than anything else, the songstress holding the mic in “Facial Recognition Technology” sounds more on-point than ever.

The guitars aren’t as loud in the master mix as I would have preferred, but I can understand the concept behind their limited presence just the same. By curtailing the beefiness of the riff, particularly when we’re getting into the guts of the chorus here, it’s definitely easier for us to pick up on the intricacies within the relationship between the strings and our singer (and I’ve got to say, there are plenty to be appreciated). The bassline is supremely physical, though not quite overindulgent, and it works in tandem with the drums to make every gargantuan groove even more evocative. I think “Facial Recognition Technology” has the potential to be the most-requested live jam that Lily Vakili Band takes with them onto the stage this summer, and in the right setting, it could be extended well beyond the 3:44 it lasts in this recording. It’s got the flexibility to be experimented with further in the proper venue, and hopefully I’ll have the chance to experience it for myself in-person before the year is out.

GOOGLE PLAY: https://play.google.com/music/preview/T55ztmcdhev2xqzblg4sdja4nhy?play=1

There are a lot of really compelling alternative singles and videos debuting on both sides of the dial this month, but “Facial Recognition Technology” is absolutely one of the more unique I’ve come across so far. 5e frightened is completely missing from the music here, and while some critics might see this as a direct slap in the face of Lily Vakili Band’s rivals, I’m not sure it was meant to be as assaultive towards their mainstream contemporaries as it was the establishment overall. There’s no walking away from this song without feeling a little repelled by the status quo as it applies to modern life in and outside of the United States, but depending on who’s listening, I think there’s a lot to be drawn from this track’s narrative. Bottom line? Check stardew valley rancher or tiller this spring – you won’t regret it.

Kim Muncie

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