Review Summary: Lights creates an amazing album, leaning more towards the bubbly synths of The Listening rather than the grime of Siberia.
Valerie Poxleitner, known by her stage name LIGHTS, is a recording artist from Canada who released her first E.P. in 2008, followed by her debut in 2009. If you aren't familiar with her music, her discography mainly consists of upbeat, cheery, electro-pop. She's branched off a little bit, with the grittier more dubstep oriented 'Siberia' and an acoustic E.P. 'Little Machines, her 3rd studio album finds a balance between the happy, semi-quirky bubblegum pop that was The Listening and the mature lyrical topics that were found on Siberia.
The album starts off with Portal. Moody ambiance and bass set the atmosphere as Valerie starts to sing: "Up in the current and taking in whole, I've been struggling, strangling others in tow. Have my eyes gone missing?" The track is a gem on the album, perfectly combining atmosphere with Valerie's gorgeous vocal performance. The next few tracks aren't as brooding or slow, as Running with the Boys starts to play. You can't deny the energy in her voice, it's perfectly suited to this style of music. While other artists come off as cheesy and contrived, the vigor just flows from Lights, sounding completely natural. The life in the album is remarkable and just flows with vigor. It's hard to describe but it just makes me smile.
Describing the more technical side of the album, it's mostly feel good pop-anthems and 80's synth vibes. Aside from more uncertain, serene tracks like 'Portal', most of the songs are upbeat, danceable tracks. The quirky electronics and reverb stand out on tracks like Muscle Memory, while the Lana Del Ray-esque Oil and Water indulge in heavier, darker electronic effects complimenting Valerie's slower voice.
Little Machines is neither a rehash of Siberia, nor of The Listening. There's something for fans of either here, but Lights has managed to create a balance of old and new, heavy and light, upbeat and downtempo. It's not without it's flaws though, as some tracks are not as memorable as others, but the tracks that do stand out, really stand out. There aren't any bad tracks on the album, just the good ones and the great ones. One of the best albums of 2014 and is sure to be one of the better indie-pop releases this year.
