Dripping with a very British sense of humour, Lail Arad could very easily be described as the replacement for Lilly Allen, but that would be very harsh indeed – although it does give an idea of the genre this fits into. Pop with intelligent lyrics; a cheeky smile to seduce the boys and the honest confidence to win over the girls. That might be sexist, but probably fairly accurate (go on leave a comment, let me know.) Another possible comparison would be a female Ben Folds, although a bit more down to earth.
Lail has a very strong, controlled voice that allows you to hear her smile as she sings, emphasising the cheeky nature of some of her words. She is clearly someone who enjoys writing songs, and that comes across with the sense of fun, but don’t think this is a comedy act. Her words do make both her and the listener smile while conjuring images in the same way the Arctic Monkeys managed on their fist album, providing a sense of detail with only a few words. The percussive line on this track sounds like a Columbian Cumbia, which would explain the gig you can see on UTube with the multi-cultural tart Devandra Berhardt. The Kinks also get a reference on this song, and appear to have influenced the chorus and bass work.
I have definitely been seduced by the quirky, fun nature of this song and sought out more straight away. Which led me to her MySpace account and the video of her performing a track called ‘Adam Green’ with what looks like a single take recording after she had just written the song. It is both clever and funny and displays talent. This track is probably too close to Lilly Allen to define her identity, but should make people curious.
Lail Arad: Lay Down
Lail Arad: Lay Down Lyrics:
why was i so ready to lay myself bare for you
every thought to share with you
correlate and care for you
(i ask again)
why was i so ready to lay myself bare for you
every thought to share with you
correlate and care for you
why was i so ready to lay down with you
dive right in and drown with you
kingdom and a crown for you
(i ask again)
why was i so ready to lay down with you
dive right in and drown with you
kingdom and a crown for you
your protective mother
told me not to bother
your prospective lover
warned me not to go there
why’d i need to lay it on the line for you
explain every sign to you
will you be mine, i said to you
will you be mine, i said to you
will you be mine, i said to you
will you by mine
why’d i need to lay it on so thick with you
want it all so quick with you
think that it would stick
your protective mother
told me not to bother
your prospective lover
warned me not to go there
even with an arrow through my chest
i still could not lay down to rest
even with an arrow through my chest
i still could not lay down to rest
no no —
oh no —
your prospective mother
she told me not to bother you
from The Onion, released April 15, 2016
produced by Yvan Bing, Robin Girod, Lail Arad at Kitchen Studio GVA
SGO Music Publishing Ltd