Up until this summer, Los Angeles-based singer Alex Lilly had been known mostly for her role as backup singer for pop duo The Bird and the Bee. Recently, however, Lilly embarked on a new project and took the spotlight for herself. With the help of 10 of her friends, she's created the band Obi Best and recorded a whimsical debut album, Capades. Though physical copies won't be available until 2009, Capades was digitally released this past August.
Obi Best's first attempt is ten songs of refreshing, keyboard-driven pop, and is largely buoyed by the strength of Lilly's voice. Reminiscent of Feist, her voice is both confident and quirky, which works wonderfully when paired with the punchy lyrics on one of the album's best and most humorous songs, "It's Because People Like You." In it, Lilly responds to an angry note left on her car: "Now really I'm sure you hate people as much as I do / But try to write things that are true," she declares.
Another gem is "Green and White Stripes." Dreamlike, shimmering electronics are layered behind Lilly's soothing vocals, and it's another of several highlights present on Capades. Unfortunately, reaching any of them means getting past the album's first track, "Nothing Can Come Between Us." The song's awkward, bouncing melody comes off as childish and quickly becomes grating. But wade past it, and you'll be rewarded with nine deliciously playful tunes.
Download this song in the Second Stage podcast.
Yesterday's Second Stage artist.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
