Whenever I receive a self-released record that's totally awesome, it makes me a little bit happy. No, no--I'm not being elitist here, so please don't think that. What makes me happy about a band struggling is the fact that there are artists out there who are working and making music, unsupported by anyone--and that good music is being made regardless of things that often make bands considered 'good'. A hip record label, a cool publicist or famous friends doth not a good record make.
Friends of Lizzy are from Austin, Texas--a town with an endless supply of artists who are great, bad, and good because you've been told they are. Well, friends, Lizzy's friends are one heck of a great band, and they're doing their thing all on their own--and the fruits of their labor are indeed sweet. Friends of Lizzy is their new six-song EP, and from the opening chords of "Grin" to the last notes of "Lights Out," they will alt-rock you like a, well..a pretty heavy gust of wind. Lead singer Clay Fain has a voice that reminds me a great deal of Ken Stringfellow, and most of Friends of Lizzy sounds like outtakes from his lost band, the Salteens.
What really makes Friends of Lizzy special, though, is the piano. Seems like most bands that have a piano suffer from novelty; the piano's either the main focus of the band (like Suddenly, Tammy) or the lead singer is a pianist (Ben Folds Five, The Prom, or Eels). Luckily for all of us, Friends of Lizzy use it as an instrument, and in so doing have really enhanced their sound, creating deeper, more powerful songs. "One In Rome"'s piano melody sounds an awful lot like a variation of Coldplay's "Trouble," but it's all the better for it. The best song on Friends of Lizzy is "All the Way Back," where the combination of piano and Clay Fain's play in and out from each other, and Fain shows the full depth of his voice. It's this song that makes me think they've got plenty of tricks up their sleeve.
Every single song on Friends of Lizzy is a special pop treat, and seeing as independent music is becoming stale and mediocre, finding a band like Friends of Lizzy is indeed a breath of fresh air. I'm hoping that somebody in a position to do so will also discover the magic of Friends of Lizzy and will offer them the opportunity to go even further in their career; not just because they deserve the opportunity, but because they could easily make some really wonderful music.
--Joseph Kyle
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