Lilys

Once upon a time, there was an anglophile from Philadelphia named Todd Rundgren, whose early efforts with his group Nazz took British mod—the Who, the Kinks and the Move—and added a rhythmic pulse straight out of Motown. That may provide a context for the rampant anglophilia of new Philly resident Kurt Heasley, whose group Lilys takes the dewy-morning optimism of early Who and the rapier-like pop of the Kinks and refracts them through the forward movement of Nazz, the kaleidoscopic lens of XTC and, occasionally, the inebriated tunelessness of the Smiths. When it works—“Will My Lord Be Gardening,” “Mystery School Assembly,” “Squares” and “Perception Room”—Heasley and his Lilys can cast quite a spell. Precollection may take a few plays to enthrall you, but it’ll be time well-spent.