If “Undone Melody” is the album’s emotional centerpiece, “Kon Tiki” is its sexy soul. Inspired by a cheesy California hotel Plants and Animals found themselves in on tour, you can pretty much smell the sunset on this one. “’Kon Tiki’ is making it to the coast,” Woody says. “We did the North American circle a few times and California always felt like the pinnacle, the instinctive arrival point. One night we found a nice hotel to chill-out in called the Kon Tiki. We followed the trade winds across America and ended up in a trashy coastal dance bar. Continental zenith.”
“Game Shows” is another epic builder that starts soft, builds quickly and then takes a curious twist before a classic rock outro effectively closes side one of the album. It’s also one of the album’s most touching, a love song that features one of Warren’s best intimate vocal performances to-date. Brad Barr stopped by the studio the day they were tracking this one and guests on piano.
As always, the continuing unfolding album stream is here. We’re accepting Mail-order Pre-orders as of now for both CD and LP versions of the album, the latter of which includes a free 320kbps mp3 download of the record. And for those of you always on the lookout for bonus material, you can Pre-Order La La Land on iTunes now, and get access to some exclusive extras from the recording sessions.
