It's always a nice treat when a member of a fantastic band releases a solo project. You honestly never know what you're going to get. Maybe it's a continuation of what the band has made, maybe it's a complete departure, or somewhere in the spectrum between the two. No matter what, it's refreshing to see musicians stretch their legs and try something new. This time around it's Cadien Lake James of Twin Peaks who just announced his upcoming solo album Dizzy under the lake j pseudonym.
The album is under a month away (March 1) and it's looking like an exciting release. Dizzy is described as having "lyrics inspired by Wong Kar Wai films," which that alone is enough to garner attention. But add to that an impressive list of contributors, many of whom are local favorites, including Julien Ehrlich, Max Kakacek, Will Miller & Malcolm Brown (all from Whitney), Macie Stewart (FINOM), Yuma Abe, Andrew Humphrey, and Colin Croom (Twin Peaks). Alongside the announcement is a taste of what's to come with its lead single "My Own Mess".
The song is an ode to taking ownership of your past errors as James takes inventory of what's left. No matter how much things seem to be going awry in the track ("But plans unwind," "I'm piling up trash just like all the rest," "I spent my dime/Now I have none"), James' calming voice drenched in the warm instrumentation is there to reassure the listener with every passing verse. "I'm happy to lose placing my own bets," he sings amidst the vibraphone tones and Wurlitzer synths before nestling back in: "Right here in the middle of my own mess." If the rest of the album sounds this good, I can't imagine a better place to be.
lake j will be releasing his debut album Dizzy on March 1. You can pre-order it here. lake j will be opening for Yuma Abe at Empty Bottle on February 14. You can pick up tickets here.
Cover photo by Tim Nagle.