It should come as no surprise that, after three years of play, many, many full-length albums (12 to be exact), and several changes to its lineup, Olympia, Washington's Lake are signed to local indie label K Records. K is known as one of the forebears of the DIY twee-pop movement in the United States, and Lake fit into the lineup perfectly; their light, happy-go-lucky, bouncy music is a nearly spot-on cross between a sedated version of The Blow and Kimya Dawson.
My first thought after slipping the album into my car stereo? That I had heard it before; I was sure I had heard it before… but of course I hadn't. It's just that the members of Lake do nothing original on Oh, The Places We'll Go. Yes, twee music isn't exactly revolutionary in and of itself; we're talking about a genre that includes Dawson, who recently released a kids’ album that prominently featured the words “poop” and “pee”. However, it's hard to get excited about a band that sounds like a poor man's version of Atlanta, GA's Telenovela, a less exciting and cheery I'm From Barcelona, and a less talented Belle and Sebastian. Dueling male and female vocalists? Check. Affected, precious, cutesy lyrics? Check.
But after all is said and done, twee music can and should be taken for what it is: wistful pop music. Yes, Lake haven't broken new ground with their first K Records release. Yes, they won't be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But, so what? Oh, The Places We'll Go is completely listenable, wholly enjoyable twee, straight out of the heart of the indie-pop-loving Northwest.
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