Album review: Devil’s Nest by Lalagray

Lalagray is a star in the making.

It has been quite a year for local music album releases, with offerings from Spooky Folk, The Beaten Sea, and Sarah Jaffe. But the DFW list is about to get another star. Dallas native Ashley Myrick – or Lalagray as she is known on stage – has some sweet music for your ears.

Her debut album Devil’s Nest may have a daunting title, but don’t let it fool you. Lalagray’s music is a lot more upbeat than the title gives it credit for. Her bouncy, piano-driven melodies backed with instrumentation from Ryan Thomas Becker of RTB2; Benj Pocta, her band mate from The Beaten Sea; and members from Sarah Jaffe’s band makes the record stand out as one of Dallas’ great debuts of this year. You can be certain to hear a lot about Lalagray in the coming months, and we're forecasting that Myrick will be hailed as another Dallas great.

Lalagray’s voice matches perfectly with her indie/alt-country melodies. She sounds similar to Inara George from The Bird and the Bee, but has the warmth of singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. Her pop-piano melodies are cutesy at first, but when she gets right down to the heart of it all, her lyrics can be dark and haunting. She is not afraid to straddle the line between dainty and doleful. Lalagray’s music and her honestly is refreshing in the sea of musical garbage that mainstream record companies have been continually putting out. Thank God for indie musicians, especially alt-country ones.

Lalagray — “Bag of Bones”

Lalagray performs "Bag of Bones" live at LaGrange in Dallas for the Devil's Nest CD release party. Video by ButIJustLikeMusic on YouTube.

Produced by Lindsay Graham and recorded at Junius Recording Co. in Old East Dallas, Devil’s Nest is a true Dallas record. Graham, who has collaborated with Lalagray before when she recorded vocals for The Beaten Sea’s self titled debut, has worked his magic yet again. Graham has also worked with other local favorites like The Happy Bullets, Giggle Party, and the Polycorns.

Devil's Nest is sure to get some airplay on KXT, as well as The Local Edge. Her album is radio-friendly enough for those shows while still keeping enough indie tendencies to stay away from harsh limelight of the mainstream.

Check out Lalagray live on September 29 at Renfield’s Corner in Dallas.