The La's (1990)

The La's is the only studio album by English rock band the La's, released on 1 October 1990 by Go! Discs. Four singles were released from the album; "Way Out" was originally released in November 1987, while "There She Goes" was released in 1988, and later became the band's biggest hit. "Timeless Melody" followed in September 1990, while "Feelin'" was released in February 1991 as the final single from the album. The former two were remixed for inclusion on The La's.

Due to its 1960s-influenced sound, reminiscent of the British Invasion era in contrast to many other alternative acts of the early 1990s, the album attracted substantial critical attention. The La's is widely considered to be a precursor to the Britpop phenomenon of the mid-1990s. In 2013, NME ranked The La's at number 154 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Despite only being a moderate hit in the UK at the time of its release, reaching No. 30 in the UK Album Charts, The La's would prove a major reference point for many later acts, most notably the Britpop icons Oasis as well as later indie bands such as Arctic Monkeys and Fontaines D.C.. A deluxe edition of The La's was released on 7 April 2008.

Content

The La's was the subject of significant attention due to its unusual sound, which American music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine describes as "the most beguiling" of albums that exists "outside of time or place, gently floating on their own style and sensibility", further adding that the album having a 1960s-esque sound without being "fussily retro" served as a precursor to the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s. The album's sound has been compared favourably with fellow Liverpool band the Beatles especially, as well as with other 1960s British bands such as the Kinks; Pitchfork wrote in 2017 that "the songs are pure Beatles melodicism [...] mixed with Kinks guitar riffs", whilst BBC Culture stated in 2021 that the album, drawing on the influence of the Beatles, Love, Pink Floyd and the Who, was at odds with prevailing scenes of 1990 such as Madchester, shoegaze and the then-upcoming grunge with its "acoustic melodies, 1960s sensibility and pure melodicism".

Release and reception

The La's was released in 1990 on Go! Discs in the United Kingdom and in 1991 on London Records in the United States. The album was praised by critics and embraced by fans. It was the result of nearly three years in the studio with a string of acclaimed producers. Each attempted to capture the sound sought by Lee Mavers, the lead singer and principal songwriter of the band. However, due to Mavers' exacting expectations, the sound eluded each of the producers, and the album eventually released was immediately disowned by the band.

Legacy

In 2013, NME ranked The La's at number 153 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2016, Rolling Stone placed the record at number 13 on its list of the "40 Greatest One-Album Wonders". The La's is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Influence

The La's was described by Shaun Curran of BBC Culture in 2021 as "a masterpiece that shaped guitar music". The record's influence on the Britpop scene that would come to dominate the British mainstream in the mid-1990s is well-documented. Noel Gallagher of Oasis stated that the band's mission was "to finish what The La's started". Gallagher placed it at No. 4 on his 13 favourite albums list in 2011.

The album's songs have been covered by many later acts, including Pearl Jam, Sixpence None the Richer and Robbie Williams.