[MP3]: Lilys ”There’s No Such Thing As Black Orchids”
Or so Philadelphia native Kurt Heasley would lead you to believe on Lilys’ 1992 debut long-player, In The Presence Of Nothing. Contrary to the song’s title, there are actually black orchids, the DC comic book heroines (thanks Dot), the Chicago nightclub, as well as the flowering plant. Coelogyne pandurata, commonly referred to as the “Black Orchid” is a rare species of orchid from Borneo that is much sought after by hybridizers for its truly black lip (according to Wikipedia).
I have no idea what the song “There’s No Such Thing As Black Orchids” is actually about because the lyrics are buried so deeply beneath layers of noise and can’t be deciphered. In The Presence Of Nothing is likely my favorite Lilys record and it’s hard reading anything about the album with out seeing the three words My, Bloody, Valentine. In fact, some refer to the album as the follow up to Loveless that never happened…blah, blah, blah. Granted, Heasley did record a single in 1991 titled “February 14” as a tribute to MBV at the height of his devotion to the band.
Surely, Kevin Shields was a big influence for Heasley on Presence and the album is hardly groundbreaking, however, it’s a staple of American shoegaze. It has a good kick of Dinosaur Jr. thrown in there too and may be one of the best American shoegaze records from the genre’s heyday along with Swirlies Blonder Tongue Audio Baton, of course. For me, it’s right up there with Souvlaki, Isn’t Anything, and the aforementioned classic Loveless.
Anyway, if you’re a fan of any of the other aforementioned bands and albums, pick up Presence, you won’t be disappointed.