La Sera: "Devils Hearts Grow Gold"

Late in 2008, the Brooklyn trio Vivian Girls barreled onto the indie world’s stage like the Ronettes behind the controls of a bulldozer. Arriving just in time to position themselves as leaders of the lo-fi pack, their self-titled debut (2008) was the perfect combination of impeccable timing and masterfully minimalist songcraft. On that fateful day when the aliens come down to find out just what this whole early 21st century lo-fi thing was all about, few documents will stand as definitive and blisteringly succinct as that first Vivian Girls record.

The few years since have been interesting for the band: the relatively (and in my opinion, unjustifiably) tepid reception of their second record Everything Goes Wrong (2009) has become a kind of parable about the fickle, mechanical heart of the hype machine and the rather gaping trap door that makes up much of the indie world’s stage. Plus, the revolving door behind the band’s drum kit spun once again in 2010 when Ali Koehler left the band. The remaining two members have been busying themselves with side projects: Cassie Ramone has been recording with Woods bassist Kevin Morby in the jangle-pop outfit the Babies. Bassist Katy Goodman’s project is called La Sera.

The gorgeous lead-off single to La Sera’s forthcoming debut LP, “Devils Hearts Grow Gold,” sounds like the Pixies’ “Silver” as it might be covered by the pedal-steel wielding angels of dream-pop heaven. (And I say this, I have to add, as a “Silver” apologist; dukes up eternally.) The lyrics veer off into the cosmos: add just a pinch of spittle and you’d swear “Life goes on and the devils grow gold / And you’re not gonna sleep till you find your soul” was an Isaac Brock line. La Sera’s sound isn’t worlds away from Vivian Girls, but whereas their songs seemed like scuffles between melody and velocity, La Sera recontextualizes Goodman’s breathy voice in a place where lush, swooning melody reigns peacefully.

Fans and skeptics alike have bemoaned the fact that Vivian Girls have not yet matched the pop sublimity of “Where Do You Run To?”—a rather unfair benchmark considering that Frankie Rose, who wrote that song, had left the band to form the Outs before the Vivian Girls’ debut was even released. But if the blissful melodies of “Devils Grow Gold” or the previous single “Never Come Around” are any indicators, Goodman might have it in her to write a “Were Do You Run To?”—and maybe some other tricks up her sleeve.