Heaven 2 by Lala Lala

Lala Lala Heaven 2

72
ChoruScore
5 reviews
Established consensus
Feb 27, 2026
Release Date
Sub Pop Records
Label
Established consensus Mostly positive consensus

Lala Lala's Heaven 2 unfolds like a travelogue of unsettled feeling, trading previous guitar-slung immediacy for propulsive synth-pop and carefully textured electronics. Across five professional reviews, critics praise the record's motion - the feeling of travel, restlessness, and the push-pull between stillness and th

Reviews
5 reviews
Last Updated
Mar 10, 2026
Confidence
88%
Scale
0-100 critics
Primary Praise

The best songs pair distinct, bodily production with concrete detail, making “Car Anymore”, “Does This Go Faster?”, and “Wyoming Dirt” stand out.

Primary Criticism

With a 72/100 consensus score across 5 reviews, the record registers as a deliberate, sometimes uneven step forward in Lillie West's songwriting and sonic identity.

Who It Fits

Best for listeners looking for restlessness and dirt/grounding.

Full consensus notes

Lala Lala's Heaven 2 unfolds like a travelogue of unsettled feeling, trading previous guitar-slung immediacy for propulsive synth-pop and carefully textured electronics. Across five professional reviews, critics praise the record's motion - the feeling of travel, restlessness, and the push-pull between stillness and the urge to run - while noting moments where sonic polish collides with lyrical vagueness. With a 72/100 consensus score across 5 reviews, the record registers as a deliberate, sometimes uneven step forward in Lillie West's songwriting and sonic identity.

Reviewers consistently point to specific standouts as proof of the album's strengths: “Car Anymore” repeatedly surfaces for its bodily opener that anchors the collection, “Does This Go Faster?” is cited as the irresistible pop apex with a lodged chorus, and “Heaven” and “Even Mountains Erode” are highlighted for muscular synth production and striking instrumental work. Critics note recurring themes of dislocation, nostalgia, sobriety-driven transformation, and the tension between motion and rootedness, with production by Melina Duterte earning praise for its glossy textures and occasional crunchy grounding. Professional reviews emphasize the album's synthesis of indie introspection and pop immediacy, with textural synth production and collaborations reshaping West's voice into something both intimate and restless.

While several critics admire the record's atmosphere and pacing, others find its lyrical clarity uneven, leaving certain emotional arcs underdefined. The critical consensus suggests Heaven 2 is worth attention for its standout tracks and adventurous production, a nuanced progression that will satisfy those drawn to synth-forward reinvention even as some listeners may long for sharper lyrical payoff. Scroll down for full reviews and track-by-track impressions.

Track Ratings

How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.

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What Critics Are Saying

Deep insights from 5 critics who reviewed this album

Critic's Take

Lala Lala's Heaven 2 finds its best songs by touching the ground rather than floating in its sleek electronics: opener “Car Anymore” is immediate and bodily, the piano figure and sax giving it a cinematic tension. The record's most undeniable pop moment, “Does This Go Faster?”, lodges its chorus in your skull and rewards the vocal payoff with an almost transcendent finish. As a closer, “Wyoming Dirt” earns its slow-burn status through restraint and a patient build that finally lands emotionally.

Key Points

  • The best songs pair distinct, bodily production with concrete detail, making “Car Anymore”, “Does This Go Faster?”, and “Wyoming Dirt” stand out.
  • Heaven 2’s core strength is its tight Duterte-West production and atmospheric electronic palette, even if lyrical vagueness sometimes softens emotional impact.

Themes

restlessness dirt/grounding dislocation sonic polish vs lyrical vagueness

Critic's Take

The review reads with the critic's knack for vivid comparisons, likening opener textures to Kraftwerkian trains and noting how West reshapes anxieties into upbeat-yet-moody songs without sacrificing lyrical weight. Bannikov's voice balances affection and appraisal, praising the album's production choices and collaborations while lamenting that it leaves you wanting more. The result is an account that answers searches for the best tracks on Heaven 2 by emphasizing the record's standout moments and its brisk, irresistible pacing.

Key Points

  • The album's best moments come from its bold shift into synth-heavy, sax-infused pop that retains West's lyrical depth.
  • Heaven 2's core strength is its confident reinvention: concise, collaborative production that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking.

Themes

transformation synthesis of indie and pop sobriety and personal change collaboration nostalgia

Critic's Take

In a careful, intimate voice Victor Gonzalez frames Lala Lala's Heaven 2 as a record where the best tracks - notably “Heaven” and “Even Mountains Erode” - do the heavy lifting by letting Melina Duterte's muscular synths and precise electronic drums carry what Lillie West won't perform. He also highlights hooks like the one in “Does This Go Faster?” as catchiest amid bleak observations, making clear these are the best songs on Heaven 2 because production and restraint combine to reveal feeling.

Key Points

  • The title track is best because its production and instrumental outro realize the album's emotional peak.

Themes

identity loss rebuilding self movement vs rootedness textural synth production

Critic's Take

On Heaven 2, Lala Lala folds whispered drama and propulsive synth-pop into an album that reads like a road journal of modern anxieties. The reviewer lingers on the record’s motion— the whirr of wheels on the road mirrored by bright, queasy melodies — and praises moments where texture and lyricism cohere into genuine emotional inwardness. Production choices, notably Melina Duterte’s gloss balanced with crunchy vocals, make the songs feel both earworm-ready and intimately uneasy. Because the provided tracklist is empty, specific track rankings cannot be given; the review elevates the album’s synth-driven momentum and lyrical reflections as its chief strengths.

Key Points

  • The best moments are where propulsive synth-pop and whispered drama produce true emotional weight.
  • The album’s core strengths are its motion-driven production and lyrical focus on contemporary unease and change.

Themes

modern anxieties motion and travel sobriety and change synth-pop texture vs. grit

Critic's Take

Lala Lala's Heaven 2 is a study in stillness and the urge to flee, and the best songs on Heaven 2 are those where that tension briefly breaks open. The reviewer lingers on “Car Anymore”, where West whispers a desperate wish - and on “This City”, which furnishes the album's rare release with a soaring drone and cinematic realisation. Tracks such as “Scammer” and “Anywave” are noted for their austere soundscapes and bleary machines, making them among the more compelling best tracks on the record. The voice throughout is measured and quietly admiring, calling out moments of instrumental sting and sudden vocal assertiveness as the album's highlights.

Key Points

  • The best song moments are where tension gives way to release, especially on 'This City'.
  • The album's strengths are its intimate vocals, restrained production, and occasional striking instrumental flourishes.

Themes

restlessness uncertainty stillness vs urge to run longing rooting/settling