La Sera
Music for Listening to Music To
POLYVINYL
6/10
When it was announced last fall that La Sera’s fourth album would be produced by Ryan Adams, the focal point for every headline was squarely on the man behind the desk. Although Adams’s alt-country fingerprints are all over Music for Listening to Music To, the true showcase here is the livewire interplay between former Vivian Girls bassist Katy Goodman and her husband, Todd Wisenbaker. The Hour of the Dawn guitarist/cowriter/producer sings and plays on multiple tracks with Goodman and the energetic feelings of love and positivity shine through on the album. Country, surf-pop, and indie rock all get about equal footing throughout Music for Listening with the album’s highlights (“High Notes,” “One True Love,” “Time to Go”) breezing by your ears like a warm wind on a spring day. While the album’s influences are all across the sound spectrum, La Sera and her band largely avoid falling into the trap of genre clichés thanks to their earnest commitment to each of Music for Listening’s ten tracks and their years of being avid music fans. This isn’t Music Appreciation 101.
