Lily Frost: Flights of Fancy

Lily Frost is a loopy and lovable Canadian gal who crafts exquisite little pop songs that blend synth-pop, singer-songwriterly strumming, and a range of other influences. Flights of Fancy is an EP of out-takes from the sessions for her delightful 2006 album, Ciné-Magique, which I reviewed here. I don’t generally crib from press releases, but the label’s assessment of these tracks as “a whimsical grouping of misfit songs” is spot on. The disc kicks off with a remix of “So in Love”, a Cole Porter tune Frost covered on the last LP. Here, it’s given a dark and burbling electro-pop makeover. The next track, “I Don’t Need Presents”, is an original, written and recorded with her producer husband, Jose M. Contreras. Ironically, it actually sounds like a ditty from the 1930s, while the Porter tune feels decidedly modern. “Waltz of the Malcontent”, meanwhile, is the off-kilter fairground song one would expect. The EP’s biggest highlight is “Flint and Feather”, which features a guest appearance from Ron Sexsmith(!) on guitar and vocals. With twinkling glockenspiel and otherworldly pedal steel swells, the song is a lilting country lullaby caught floating in the airwaves from some magical version of the past. This cute little EP is only available at the merch table at Lily Frost’s shows, so I suppose it’s mostly geared toward the fans. Maybe you’ll become one, too.