When I Am Dead, My Dearest by LILAMORS

In music, there’s nothing we could imagine to be more organic than the sound of a human voice. For self-described genreless band LILAMORS, vocals take first, second, and third priority, at times comprising the entirety of the mix in a method reminiscent of ASMR. In this way, LILAMORS cherishes the human element of music production, as they go out of their way to record vocals naturally and in familiar indoor settings. However, no chance to incorporate technological trickery goes unutilized here, as the band’s third member’s sole job is to operate the computer-generated noises, effects, and chops involved in these songs. This tech person participates in a half-hour game of tug-of-war with the vocalist, with the pianist seeking in vain to broker some kind of peace.

Much ink has been spilled regarding the encroachment of technology upon musical territory, with people taking sides over whether digital processing has overall provided a net positive or negative to the medium. Rather than throwing their weight behind just one side of this debate, LILAMORS gives the listener some of the most compelling arguments from both parties. When I Am Dead, My Dearest, the band’s latest album, sounds more organic by the merit of technology and more synthetic by the merit of the human voice, a feat that few other artists have even come close to accomplishing. Moments like When I Am Dead remind us of the silver linings and rare moments of transcendent beauty that ornament our path towards the technological singularity, giving us something to be thankful for amidst all our anxiety.

-Michael