Perfectopop's Best Albums of 2009:
#17 The Listening by LIGHTS
Canadian electropop darling LIGHTS (and winner of Canada's prestigious Juno award for Best New Artist) may claim to be from another galaxy, but her songs sound like they take place on a plant not to different form our own. If they truly are intergalactic, though, they must take place in the same dark but beautiful galaxy of auto-tuned beings that Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak took place on.
Yet LIGHTS' planet has an interesting mix of desolate cities and majestic natural areas. Songs like "Drive My Soul" and "February Air" are about trying to make a human connection in immense and impersonal cities, much like 808s. Despite all LIGHTS' pictures of herself posing with candy-colored ray guns (disclaimer: she totally did it before Lady Gaga and Beyonce), the album starts out with LIGHTS as a damsel in distress looking for a "Saviour" and somebody to drive her soul.
On the other hand, LIGHTS sings of nature as though it is a magical force that can rescue her from this isolation. Her song "River" is a prayer to a river. Conceptually, it's similar to Owl City's "Hello Seattle," whose last eight lines are like a prayer to the city. LIGHTS is frequently compared to Owl City, with good reason: both deal in a subdued style of electropop not often heard. And the fact that they're touring North America and Europe together can't hurt. (If I wasn't such a crazed Owl City fanatic, I probably would have compared her music to his instead of Kanye's, but I could write a whole 'nother post about how the world his music creates is much more magical yet similar to our own than hers... And don't even get me started on the subtle differences between Owl City and the Postal Service...) But I digress.
By the middle of the album, LIGHTS has made a human connection and spends her time comforting this guy, insisting that he shouldn't worry about her ("The Last Thing on Your Mind") and should face every situation with courage ("Lions!"). And in this world of isolation, LIGHTS eventually finds lots of people in similar situations. In "Face Up," she instructs this boyfriend to "Look at the people all around you/The way you feel is something everybody goes through."
Though none of the tracks are as dynamite as the cartoon weapons she loves to pose with, the album's only true dud is the treacly ballad "Pretend," whose sappy nostalgic lyrics sound especially bad with LIGHTS' weak and breathy voice. The album's timeline isn't perfect either, but if a few tracks were switched around, LIGHTS could weave a wonderful story about finding compassion and courage in a disconnected world remarkably similar to our own.
Monday, January 4, 2010
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Postal Service > Owl City
ReplyDelete(Yes, I realize I missed the entire point of the post. But it had to be said. I think you disagree, though, right? I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on the matter.)
Hmm, in a nutshell/however long these comments can be, I'd say that the Postal Service's music is amazing, and the most subtly romantic music I've ever heard. But it took me about a year to fully appreciate it because it has more of a detached, clinical sound.
ReplyDeleteOwl City's music is more of a wondrous, wide-eyed journey. It's more magical (I'm especially speaking of his album Maybe I'm Dreaming; his debut EP Of June was more subdued, closer to the Postal Service, and his latest album Ocean Eyes exhibits such diverse pop influences that it's harder to concisely analyze). (Oh gosh, is this the most pretentious music criticism you have ever read?)
Basically, what I love about the Postal Service is finding that spark of beauty in their generally bleaker songs, but what I love about Owl City is the beauty that is bursting everywhere in his songs. So from a more critical standpoint, I would probably say The Postal Service has the more deftly-crafted songs, but personally, I enjoy Owl City's music more.