It's quite possible that
the La's showcased on
BBC in Session is the closest to the ideal sound
Lee Mavers had in mind when he sweated over the group's debut. The group is so lean and clean in these 17 radio sessions that their pop sparkles. It sounds genuinely out of time, hearkening back to the golden age of British pop and pointing toward the golden age of Brit-pop, especially when stripped of the lightest production flair
Steve Lillywhite imposed on the band's debut. This doesn't necessarily make for a revelation -- there's no change on the arrangement, not even on the funky outtake "Come In Come Out," the tunes are just brought down to the bone -- but that doesn't make
BBC Sessions any less valuable for die-hard
La's fans: this is the group at their purest, arguably at their best, and it's as addictive as the classic studio LP. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine