Allah Las have always been fascinated with both the carefree spirit and glitter-in-the-gutter lifestyle of their hometown LA. After three records mining its lore and lure (from the desert to the sea) and having taken their compact California on the road across the world, they couldn’t help but peek through the other end of the telescope. On their fourth LP, drummer Matt Correia, bassist Spencer Dunham, and guitarists Miles Michaud and Pedrum Siadatian turn their collective gaze outward and toward the horizon. 'We’ve been travelling a lot the past couple years and I think that played a role in influencing the broader variety of songs on this record', Correia explains. Simply titled LAHS (a reference to a common misspelling of the band’s name), their forthcoming release on Mexican Summer finds a band at the peak of their powers. LAHS will be released on October 11th through Mexican Summer.
Take the persistent shuffle of first single In The Air that drives the song, while Siadatian’s echo slapped voice bounces along on top, describing''images that can’t compare to the real thing in the air''. Electric guitar and mellotron trade licks, mirror each other's kinetic ascending and descending lines and call to mind the playful jubilance of Kevin Ayers in his prime.
Those familiar with the band’s work will recognize their skilful melding of melodies and moods, but through a wider lens we see them venturing into new, exciting territories on LAHS. Indeed, their growth not just as songwriters, but as performers, arrangers, and producers - is clearly audible - quite literally, with songs also sung in Portuguese and Spanish.
Allah Las will embark on an extensive European tour in October and will play Rotown in Rotterdam on October 6th (already sold out) and Paradiso in Amsterdam on October 7th.
