Lillimure

The debut full-length by Westchester, New York chanteuse Lillimure runs the gamut from fanciful adventures through sunny pastures to soulful downtempo reflections. The 20-year old singer draws from the likes of Norah Jones and Regina Spektor to create a thoughtful and endearing oeuvre underscoring those universal themes of exploration, growth, love and hard truths.

The album begins on a decidedly sunny note. The opener 'Wallflower' is light and breezy with Lillimure crooning amidst playful electric piano, jazzy guitar, uplifting horns and warm July air backing vocals. The singer implores us to run with her through a field of daisies under a lilac sky. Could there be a more summery image than that? She follows this with 'Oh, California', an ode to the Golden State that is a direct descendent of Joni Mitchell's 1971 gem 'California' from her quintessential folk album Blue. While Lillimure’s track may not have the third dimension that Joni’s does with its tales of camera-stealing lovers and commentary on the collapse of the ‘60s hippie dream dealt out in frank, matter-of-fact sung doses, it still conveys that longing for the sun-kissed coast with the piccolo-like lilt of a young ingenue.

'Lady in the Mirror' shifts gears with a turn-of-the-Millenium wistful RnB number. Handclaps and airy synths with Lillimure humbly exploring her own limitations. Not in a derisive way, just an ode to the unknown and a shedding of any narcissistic tendencies. The slow dreamy vibe carries into the single 'WDYTM', lost in the cloud of a crush's influence. The single, who's acronym elongates to “Why Do You Tease Me” quickly picks up to a quasi-disco bounce that feels like Janelle Monae in her less robotic, more sensual funk moments. The second half of the album is replete with more sultry contemplations finishing with the single 'Something', another laissez-faire ditty that questions the white girl assumption of trusting the benevolence of “The Universe” to sort everything outright.

Lillimure's self-titled full-length debut is a solid release from an up and coming presence with a golden voice and an endearing aura. Shaped as much by folk heroes of the past as the jazzy vocalists of recent years, she has created an album that feels light without being shallow. Good summer tunes.