La Sera

La Sera

Since forming in 2007, the three founding members of Brooklyn-by-way-of-New Jersey’s Vivian Girls have left an indelible mark on pop music. With a third album slated for release this year on Polyvinyl, they are still in top form – though each member has gone off into her own musical directions too. Founding member Frankie Rose left early on, forming Frankie Rose And The Outs. Her replacement, Ali Koehler, is now drumming for Best Coast. The two constants – Katy Goodman and Cassie Ramone – both have full album side projects being released in February. None of the original Vivian Girls have left the sound they exploded on the scene with – simple garage rock arrangements of pure pop songs with great hooks. For Goodman’s newest project, La Sera, she marries the ’80s pop of Cocteau Twins with a ’50s American sensibility, and even hints at the pastoral pop of Vashti Bunyan. It might be the best recorded work yet from any of the Girls, though it lacks some of the ethereal qualities of Ramone and Goodman’s vocal harmonies for Vivian. While the music is easy on the ears, it’s heavy on subject matter, telling mostly morbid tales of love and death. Goodman’s voice, on it’s own, and her gift for writing simple, yet compelling, songs make La Sera one of the best dream pop albums so far this year.