The Lights future looks bright.
The Lights are a London based act and their debut album covers a large amount of influences, turning their debut album 'Grand Union' into more of a compilation mix as opposed to one genre or themed record.
That said, its no bad thing as the tracks and vocals are of a high quality, calling to mind Depeche Mode and Soundgarden within the opening few tracks. Much of this variation in the tracks can be attributed to the amount of guests and players on the album but songwriter Mathew Lester underpins the entire record
With 80's synths and cold bouncy pop sitting side by side with U2 esque vocals 'Don't You Feel' fits in with the current zeitgeist and could be a good introduction to the record. The backing vocals are very pleasant, oohing and aahing throughout the track.
There is a cleverness and humour throughout the record, probably best shown on 'Free Ride', which mixes grunge vocals over a saxophone backing. And although that's not a combination that would pack the crowds in, it does work very well. It also contains the fantastic line, "I thought I had a date with your dark side but all I got was words from your backside" which may well be used the length and breadth of the country if it ever gets some airplay.
For all that 'Grand Union' varies in tempo and genre, nothing jars or annoys. The female vocals are all light and recall Sarah Cracknell and her thousand imitators and the electronic percussion sounds may anchor most of the tracks but there is a freedom and roaming quality to the songs.
Perhaps the uptempo rap style of 'Neighbours' pales in comparison with other tracks and the female backing vocals sound quite dated but as a stand-alone song, it still rates highly and that's probably the beauty of this record. However, its blown away by the Gary Numan styled 'Raise Your Hand' which follows, its as though the Sugababes had a soul to match their pop sensibilities
'Grand Union' works very well as a collection of singles and individual tracks but doesn't feel wrong when played continuously. Most bands can't achieve this with a greatest hits package, so The Lights should be commended for achieving this with their debut release.
It's impossible to list the amount of styles and influences that have shaped this album and that's part of its beauty. With every new listen there are new layers being peeled back and uncovering something new. This record is well worth grabbing and sinking into for a few repeated plays. At the very least, it will get the listeners flicking through their own collection and revisitng some old favourites.