Concerts

CD Review: LIGHTS - The Listening

Review by Kevin Kenny

A few months ago I heard the single “Saviour,” by LIGHTS and found it intriquing. I enjoyed it quite a bit but was afraid when she released her LP The Listening, it would be monotonous both in lyrics and musically like most pop music. As a listener of all genres of music, it’s difficult to enjoy newer pop music because much of it tends to vacillate between being annoying bubblegum pop cheese and obnoxiously hip/vulgar. There are a handful of pop artists I enjoy and with LIGHTS’ release of The Listening she becomes one of them.

LIGHTS is a synth dream pop band composed of Valeria “LIGHTS” Poxleitner. Despite the fact that I feel that LIGHTS comes close to being “cheesy” pop music, she differs from most current artists by creating these synth landscapes that along with her soft, mellow yet emotional voice compliments her love/relationship centered lyrics. A refreshing aspect of LIGHTS’ music is that none of the songs sound the same. Each track possesses a unique feel even if the tracks overall overlap on the same subjects (ex-boyfriends, video games, etc).

“Saviour,” the lead track off the album, is an amalgam of a radio hit and an emotional, beautiful ballad with sincere lyrics. The latest single from LIGHTS “Ice,” is a bit less simple yet quirky, fun and as perfect as a pop song can be. The song “Quiet” is a re-mixer’s dream with its pounding bass line and rain droppish sounding beats.

Despite its strengths, The Listening, isn’t flawless. “Pretend,” which appears on the album twice (once solo piano), is your typical breakup song. The reason it suffers unlike some of the other songs on the album is because the music is dramatic yet bare and doesn’t have the fun vibe that songs such as “Ice” have. This only further distinguishes LIGHTS sound from other pop artists. “Face Up,” is another slow song that isn’t up to par with the rest of the album with its banal tone and lyrics.
Overall LIGHTS debut LP The Listening is an enjoyable listen. If you enjoy any of her singles, you’ll really like The Listening. LIGHTS shows that she’s not afraid to experiment with her sound enough to stretch pop music’s limits yet not too much to alienate her dedicated fans who knew her simply as Valerie.

Grade: 7/10
Tracks to check out: “Saviour”, ‘Ice”, “Quiet”, “February Air,” and “The Listening.”

For more on LIGHTS, go to iamlights.com and myspace.com/lights.

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Tags: LIGHTS