Album Info

Lily

Lily

By Wendy Matthews

Pop - 1992

With her impressive interpretive gift, Canadian-born, Australia-based former busker Wendy Matthews built on the success of her debut, 1990’s Emigré,... more

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About Lily

With her impressive interpretive gift, Canadian-born, Australia-based former busker Wendy Matthews built on the success of her debut, 1990’s Emigré, with the genre-melding Lily. Matthews sought out some studio ringers in 1992 for her second record—Booker T. Jones on keys, Jon Farriss and Garry Gary Beers from INXS as rhythm section, and T-Bone Burnett in the producer’s chair—and chose a slate of heart-on-sleeve tunes by songwriters like Cecil Womack and Little Feat’s Lowell George. But it’s Matthews’ ability to shape those songs into something fresh and vital that remains Lily’s legacy. For the album’s centerpiece—“The Day You Went Away” by British electronic group Soul Family Sensation—Matthews strips away everything but bright piano, her own stirring vocals, and a soft heartbeat. The bold move made the somber breakup song a massive hit, becoming the biggest-selling Australian single in 1992, forging a lasting cultural legacy and paving the way for Lily to go triple-platinum. Elsewhere, Matthews seamlessly switches up the vibe: The atmospheric “Friday’s Child” employs booming percussion and dreamy synths for its message of gratitude, and “If Only I Could” mixes pop, funk, and soul to imagine a brighter world.