The swaggering guitar riff opening Lily Vakili Band’s single “She Wants What” is a signpost for what is to come. This is an ultra-confident, to the point, and two-fisted rock anthem in the making urging listeners to never be denied the best for themselves. There’s nothing superficial about it. The arrangement is relatively simple and straight forward while still managing to speak volumes about the performers making this song so special. New Jersey based Lily Vakili has worn a lot of hats in life and has never backed down from a challenge but the band’s musical acumen inspires her just as much as she inspires them – rarely in modern music will you hear such a seamless dialogue between a vocalist and their band members, regardless of gender. They are on the same page in every way.
The new single is the first release from Vakili’s forthcoming EP Set of Seven and, based on its merits alone, it is safe to assume the EP has potential to be a transformative release in Vakili’s musical career. All of the ingredients are present for such a watershed moment. The aforementioned musical qualities, ideal lyrics, and a near career defining vocal that pulls out all the stops to bury itself in listener’s memory without ever sounding cheap or affected are central to my experience hearing this. She makes no bones, at any point, that this song means a great deal to her and does it without even a dollop of sentimentality – instead, she takes charge and sounds, with her band at her side, like she’s ready and able to take on the world.
The track will resonate across the board. I am sure that, to a certain extent, women are a target audience for the track, but there’s not a thing about this performance that fails to cut across gender lines. Most human emotions are universal experiences and the feelings driving this track have widespread application. Vakili wants to storm the ramparts of life and urges us to do the same in our everyday lives without ever laying it out like that word for word. Other listeners may walk away from this track taking something different from it, but no one will be able to deny its indefatigable spirit. Every note , beat, phrase, and chord crackles with unmistakable life.
YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O2JmOb65Lw&feature=youtu.be
This is her first release since 2018’s Oh Alright and Vakili seems to be gathering more and more creative momentum with each new release. She is definitely staying busy. This has been an abiding theme of her adult life through the arts, advocacy, connecting with family and those she loves, and it permeates every second of this single. “She Wants What” isn’t set to open new doors for Lily Vakili and her band – it is due to kick them in with resounding force and bury them in the opposing wall. This is a song that cannot be denied and ranks as one of the best rock numbers I’ve heard yet in 2019.
Jodi Marxbury