VINYL REVIEW: Lyla Foy – ‘Mirrors The Sky’ (Loser Edition)

Artist: Lyla Foy
Album: Mirrors The Sky
Genre: Indie Pop, Dream Pop
Release Date: March 18, 2014

I discovered Lyla Foy around the turn of this year after she had abandoned the WALL moniker and unveiled “Feather Tongue,” an excellent single that would promote her forthcoming release, Mirrors The Sky. The album didn’t even have official artwork revealed yet but I was sold on the song and visited Sub Pop’s webstore to check out the pre-order options. I was pleased to see that pre-orders of the vinyl release would receive a limited variant known as the “Loser Edition,” as Sub Pop has been accustomed to doing for the first run of their vinyl releases. It wasn’t yet announced what color variant that would be but I didn’t care; between the affordable price, great music, and the bonus tote bag offer, I was in.

Mirrors The Sky began streaming in full over at Pitchfork this week so I was already thrilled to listen through the album multiple times, but my pre-order came in today nearly a week before release so what would otherwise be a rather routine Wednesday has become a far more enjoyable one as I sit back, spin Lyla Foy’s newest and enjoy this beautiful weather.


Pressing Info

This is the first pressing of Lyla Foy’s debut full-length album, Mirrors The Sky, that will be officially released on March 18 via Sub Pop Records. All pre-orders will receive the limited, colored, “Loser Edition” of the record which is pressed on a single, beautiful, marbled purple disc that perfectly accentuates not only the album’s artwork but the elegant tones throughout its 10 tracks. A digital download card for the entire album is included with the vinyl release as well which is priced at a very reasonable $14 plus tax in the US.

It is currently unknown how many copies the “Loser Edition” is limited to but as of the release date, this version will no longer be available through the label.


Packaging & Presentation

I was completely pleased upon opening my copy of Mirrors The Sky as the jacket, inner sleeve, and record itself all look really fantastic. The colors compliment each other perfectly and are all really easy on the eyes. The cover artwork by Micah Lidberg is very attractive and, again, matches the purple variant very nicely.

As opposed to a lyric/credit insert sheet, the lyrics are printed directly onto the record’s protective sleeve which contains a full-sized image of Lyla on the opposite side. It’s really simple but looks great with a clean, stylish layout. The lyrics are very easy to read which is truly appreciated by those of us that enjoy reading along as we listen through our records. The packaging on some releases can make this nearly impossible with illegible fonts or contrasting colors and images.

The record itself is gorgeous. A solid, opaque purple would have been nice enough but there is a lot of marbling to the color with accents of fuchsia, white, and blue that even more impressively accompanies the artwork. The only issue I have with the entire release is how thin and flimsy the record is. It may quite possibly be the lightest weight record I own at this point apart from flexi-discs obviously. A 180 gram disc would have been phenomenal for this release but even a more standard weight record would have been a little more pleasing. Personally, I’m not a huge stickler on vinyl weight but it is immediately noticeable upon opening and may be disappointing to steadfast audiophiles.

The earlier pre-orders also come with a bonus tote bag which is now unavailable as supplies have since run out. Sub Pop ALSO threw in a handful of awesome stickers; label logos and some of their artists like Mogwai and The Afghan Whigs.


Sound Quality

Even despite the record’s incredibly light weight, the album still sounds perfectly clear and of the utmost quality. It could be argued that Foy’s lush tones and beautiful vocal melodies were made for this format. The intrinsic warmth of Foy’s creations is only further emphasized on vinyl and makes for a comfortably relaxing listening experience.


Wrap-Up

Any fans of acts such as Beach House, Wye Oak, or Lykke Li will definitely find something to like on Mirrors The Sky. I’d suggest listening through the album now to see if it’s something you’d consider buying and pre-order it before it releases next week so that you get the “Loser Edition,” unless the variant doesn’t matter to you, but I promise that the purple is really a great option and will likely cost a lot more than $14 on the secondhand market in the future.

 

Review written by: Brian Lion — (Follow him on Twitter)

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