LILA KHASANLANY - THAT'S FINE, LILA - ALBUM REVIEW

LILA KHASANLANY

THAT'S FINE, LILA

Mersin, Turkey

I hope you like new age hard rock because Lila Khasanlany is serving it up in droves with their newest EP, ‘That’s Fine, Lila’. The album is packed with brutal textures, mosh pit-worthy riffs and enough heavy metal textures to start up a steelyard. Although short, ‘That’s Fine, Lila’ is jam-packed with goodies for any kind of music lover. Whether you like to move to the music, have a dance in the kitchen, headbang to a heavy section or simply mellow out to some stellar vocals, Lila Khasanlany has it all wrapped up in a gothic bow.

The EP struts in, all confidence and bravado, with the first and title track, ‘That’s Fine, Lila’. A false open starts us off slow, then the vocals hit and good heavens do they hit hard. On top of all that are drums that pack a hell of a punch and add a high gritty texture to the otherwise smooth song and we’re off to the races. The song builds and gets quiet just when you want it to, a rock lover's perfect little number. The chorus is a belter and for our introduction to Lila Khasanlany’s vocals on this EP, it's a great first impression. They soar and hold notes for as long as anyone could believe and then roll back down to meet the melody at ramming speed. ‘That’s Fine, Lila’ has earned its place as the title track in my book.

We move to ‘Knock Knock, Open Up’ a slower song that really showcases Lila’s vocals. Hitting highs and adding frills to accent the almost folky melody. The instrumental layers and shifts with the vocal melody so smoothly that you almost don’t notice. Then a chorus that features some slick metal guitar hits you from left field and sends you soaring. They carry on into the verse and add even more angsty texture, the build into the second chorus feels almost funky at moments which is a great addition to a stellar rock song. The bridge speeds the whole song up and we are gifted some sublime harmonies supporting Lila’s already menacingly powerful vocals.

‘Fish in Water’ is the most modern-sounding rock song on the album. It's fresh and fun. It has some dance elements, especially in the percussion that, can really get you moving. We don’t lose any of the rock influence as Lila’s vocals come in full force not dropping the emotion for a second and setting this song up to be a hit from the get-go. Each instrument bends to the beat and the chorus tops it all off, a sound like the 00s and the 80s rolled into one grand middle section. ‘Take My Body Home’ follows ‘Fish in Water’ and couldn’t be more different. Bringing forth sounds from the Emo movement of the 00s and adding Lila Khasanlany’s own musical flare we get this rich and dark tonal song that just gets better the more you listen to it. It would be my pick for the single off of the album and I’m sure ‘Take My Body Home’ will be in many people’s favourites library very soon.

To finish off the album is a smoother, slower song, ‘The Guest in Your House’. A song that displays stellar vocals and harmonies backed by synth plucks guitar and discordant strings. It creates an atmosphere that is as thick as it is expressive, showing us one final new sound that can come from Lila Khasanlany’s musical style. ‘That’s Fine, Lila’ is a standout EP for many reasons. For me, it shows off so much of what Lila Khasanlany can do all in one place. If we do not see Khasanlany blow up and receive all of the rock and roll glamour that they deserve then I will be heartily disappointed. ‘That’s Fine, Lila’ is a damn good EP from a damn good artist.