Brightlight City- Pressure
Brightlight City are a band with great ambition. One read of their press release told me that. 'Harmonic hooks aplenty that will have the Kaisers gnashing their teeth with envy. A truly expansive sound that's sweetly blistered with a subtle post punk austereness...jagged riffage and set to a pulse pounding panic stricken indie pop dynamic'. Wowzers. I felt like I needed to take out some decent life insurance before I popped debut single 'Pressure' into the CD player. But rather than being blown away and sent crashing into the wall, it felt more like a gentle spring breeze upon my cheek.
There are plenty of likeable elements. The opening drum beat and a bassline brimming with funk is most welcomed by a tap-inclined foot and a head that is a fan of nodding. The verses make for a pleasant indie-pop sound with sufficient atmospheric moodiness to keep your hipsters happy beneath their facade of disinterest. It just felt like there was a constant building towards a deal-breaking hook that just never turned up to the party. Instead, there's just a watery repetitive chorus to greet you. It isn't bad, but just not as good as you so want it to be. This is not to say that they aren't heading in the right direction however.
The second track on the single, 'Is This Love?' is possibly the better out of the two songs. Again, you are left a little aurally frustrated for a lack of climax, ahem, but you are teased with the notion of potential within the laid back indie-pop musical drawl. Simon Cowell wouldn't say they had the X Factor. Which is course is a good thing for anyone that wants to become a recording artist of any credibility within music not destined for the Top Ten... but there is something to be said for having a little bit of something special. At the minute, 'Pressure' lacks this. If they keep chipping away at what they clearly enjoy doing, perhaps Brightlight City may find themselves with a more memorable signature sound.