For La’s, 1990 album was over and out

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Aug. 15, 2003 | 8:26 a.m.

Over the years plenty of musical acts have earned the title "one-hit wonders," but you won't find too many one-album phenoms in the annals of rock history.

Generally speaking, a well-received debut guarantees a band at least a few years in the spotlight, and the opportunity to record a string of follow-ups.

For British pop outfit the La's, however, it was one and done. The Liverpool collective released its self-titled LP in 1990 and was never heard from again, self-destructing during several failed attempts to record its sophomore album.

Fortunately, the one CD the La's did finish stands as a tall tribute to the once-promising band.

Along with the Stone Roses' more-acclaimed eponymous 1990 debut, "The La's" helped define Britpop years before Oasis or Blur broke into the mainstream.

La's leader, Lee Mavers, packed the 35-minute disc with wonderfully jangly, hook-driven tunes that borrow from The Beatles and Smiths without mimicking either.

Only the college radio hit "There She Goes" made any significant impact on the charts, but it's far from the only essential track on the album. In fact, all 12 cuts on "The La's" should immediately appeal to fans of mature pop music.

Mavers' clever vocal stylings, combined with his band's carefully constructed harmonies, enliven otherwise simple songs such as "I Can't Sleep," "Liberty Ship" and "I.O.U."

A quirky lyrical approach also contributes to the disc's whimsical quality. During leadoff track, "Son of a Gun," Mavers rhymes "mercenary" with "personally," and pulls it off with surprising ease.

The album's final track, "Looking Glass," breaks from formula, running nearly eight minutes -- more than twice as long as anything else on the CD. The ballad serves as an ideal closer, however, spiraling and building toward its big finish.

It proved to be more than just the album's finale, officially closing the book on the La's' story far too soon. Reportedly, Mavers' infamous perfectionism was the band's undoing, preventing him from releasing anything he's written in the 13 years since.

You can find "The La's" at most any record store, retailing for under $15. If you do check it out, prepare to spin it frequently, both because you'll want to and because as far as the La's go, it's the first and only word on the subject.

Artist: The La's.

Title: "The La's."

Year of release: 1990 (Go! Discs/London Records).

Tracklisting: "Son of a Gun," "I Can't Sleep," "Timeless Melody," "Liberty Ship," "There She Goes," "Doledrum," "Feeling," "Way Out," "I.O.U.," "Freedom Song," "Failure," "Looking Glass."