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. 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.

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3score = A+

| rev4 = NME

| rev4score = 8/10

| rev5 = The Observer

| rev5score =

| rev6 = Q

| rev6score =

| rev7 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev7score =

| rev8 = Select

| rev8score = 4/5

| rev9 = Uncut

| rev9score =

| rev10 = The Village Voice

| rev10score = A−

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

  • Lee Mavers – lead vocals and backing vocals, guitars
  • John Power – basses and backing vocals
  • Peter "Cammy" Camell – lead guitars
  • Neil Mavers – drums and tambourine
  • John "Boo" Byrne – electric guitar <small>(on "There She Goes")</small>
  • Chris Sharrock – drums and tambourine <small>(on "There She Goes")</small>
  • Paul Hemmings – electric guitar <small>(on "Way Out")</small>
  • John "Timmo" Timson – drums, tambourine and bells <small>(on "Way Out")</small>

;Production

| style="text-align:center;"| 30

|-

| US Billboard 200

| style="text-align:center;"| 196

|}

References

<!-- This is a licensed stream for the album, which is allowed under Wikipedia polices -->