Lily & Maria

Virtually nothing seems known about the female duo Lily & Maria or their sole, self-titled album, which came out on Columbia in 1968 (though it did feature well-known session man Paul Griffin, who played on many prominent folk-rock records of the mid- to late '60s, on keyboards). Those searching for an overlooked acid folk rarity (and this is rare, despite coming out on a big major label) would do well to try hearing this unusual outing, though the album sounds more like a blueprint (in both production and songwriting) than a fully thought-out effort. The record combines high folky harmonies with gauzily vague, evocative lyrics, although much of the material is so minimally arranged that it sounds like demos in places. The more fully produced pieces, though, add ghostly, unsettling orchestration and electric rock instruments that sometimes make the songs totter on the line between fragile prettiness and creepiness.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo