Lillie West, the creative mind behind Lala Lala, has officially traded the Midwest chill of Chicago for the sun-drenched sprawl of Los Angeles, and her latest release, Heaven 2, perfectly captures that “new city, who dis?” energy. Out now on Sub Pop Records, the album feels like a masterclass in what happens when an artist stops running and starts planting roots—even if those roots are currently in a desert yurt in Taos, New Mexico, where much of the writing took place. Moving from the tight-knit Chicago indie scene to the West Coast seems to have given West the breathing room to craft something remarkably steady and shimmering. It’s the kind of record that makes you want to sell all your belongings, buy a vintage truck, and drive toward the horizon while feeling very sophisticated and slightly dusty.
The songs themselves are a delightful mix of evolutionary tension and melodic hooks that stick to you like New Mexican staurolites. “Even Mountains Erode” is an absolute centerpiece, offering a sonic depth that suggests West has found a new kind of power in staying put. Meanwhile, “Arrow” and “Wyoming Dirt” provide the perfect soundtrack for a long, introspective coastal drive, and the fan-favorite “Scammer” delivers the kind of punchy, earnest vibe that Lala Lala fans have come to adore. The whole project manages to be both deadpan funny and “crushingly sad” in that classic West fashion, proving that while her zip code has changed, her ability to pin down a complex emotion remains elite.
Milwaukee fans can experience this new Los Angeles-via-Taos era in person when Lala Lala hits the Cactus Club on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 w/ Mother Soki. The doors are at 7:00 PM, and it’s an all-ages show, making it the premier midweek destination for anyone who appreciates high-quality indie-pop and the occasional story about farming organic vegetables. Whether you’re grabbing the Loser Edition LP through one of the links below or catching their set live at Cactus Club and buying the record there, it’s clear that West’s move out West has resulted in her most grounded and magical work yet.
Click here to buy tickets to the Cactus Club show before it sells out.
Links of interest:
https://www.instagram.com/lillielala_music/
https://lalabandlala.bandcamp.com/album/heaven-2
https://megamart.subpop.com/products/lala-lala_heaven-2