Introducing herself in "Okoboji," the first song on her new second album, "Oceans of Kansas," singer-songwriter Lily Vakili politely asks her audience to dive into her backyard lake, the sun-soaked waters of freedom, friendship, and feeling fully alive.
A proud child of folk rock but flecked with indie grit, "Okoboji" thrums to a feel-good spirit as instantaneous as a summer breeze skating across a lake. The song is winking, impromptu, and entirely unburdened, one of those instant mood lifters that doesn't require much beyond your willingness to feel. It is no wonder this is where Vakili chose to initiate the journey of her latest album. This track is a door blown wide open.
"Okoboji" celebrates hot days, wild nights, and the laughter that blooms only around people who truly see you. Yet there's a quiet underlying current of Vakili's hallmark insight, her lifelong practice of gathering and spinning life's detritus into emotionally resonant art. Here, the memory of a place becomes a complete emotional ecosystem, and electrified instrumentation and ballsy, virtuosic vocalizing give it life.
Vakili's voice is confident, relaxed, and warm, as though she's leaning in to tell you a story you once knew but forgot how to tell. There's no posturing or overproduction here, just an old hand getting into the pleasure of making music and the pure sweetness of company.
"Okoboji" is also a lovely set-up for what's to come. "Oceans of Kansas" is a layered, intimate, genre-melding album. This song is its emotional portal. It reminds us that for all of its complexity, the rest of the journey can be reduced to a single, straightforward moment of openness. With "Okoboji," Lily Vakili gives you a vibe. And, like the most cherished memories, it sticks around long.