Having shifted her artistic endeavours under her own name (from her previous moniker Vakili band), American country songstress Lily Vakili unveils today what could be best described as a cohesive, wholesome and meaningful album, a record steeped in tradition and personal experience. Aptly titled ‘Oceans of Kansas’, the LP sees Vakili getting back to a more intimate brand of songwriting, as she embraces vulnerability and seeks to root herself in the American tradition.
Built on Country and Americana tones, ‘Oceans of Kansas’ is both heartwarming and melancholic, as it draws a fine thread between nostalgia and tradition. Fierce guitars and rock flavourings are often interlaced with gentler, understated material, making for an album that oscillates between darkness and light, euphoria and gloominess. It’s a closer look at Vakili’s own spiritual aura, as she grapples with themes of identity and resilience.
The denomination ‘Oceans of Kansas’ is a nod to that, remembering a prehistoric sea that once covered the Great Plains. After visiting the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays, Kansas, Lily arrived at a profound conclusion: “I understood something: that I am the archivist, the archaeologist, of my own life, honouring what’s been unearthed, what’s been lost, and what’s still surfacing. Everything is fleeting, everything is here.”
Recommended! Discover ‘Oceans of Kansas’ on Spotify:
