Review Summary: 40 Watt Sun Burning Just Right on "Perfect Light"
There are bands that I love but hate to listen to. Seems like a contradictory statement does it not? Well let me explain this. In general, I try to keep a positive outlook going on in my life no matter what comes my way. And yet there are some unstoppable forces that beat me into submission and leave me just plain depressed, such as 40 Watt Sun. However I still love the band for the beauty and vulnerability of their music, and their most recent release, "Perfect Light," is no different.
The record begins with the track "Reveal," which as the name suggests, gradually reveals many layers as the song progresses. As you listen you will begin to notice new instruments coming to light such as a violin, or is that a cello? Hard for me to tell personally, however I can say that a pleasant surprise was the presence of backing female vocals that adds another layer of texture to the song. In relation to the aforementioned depression factor, despite the overall optimistic lyrics of the song, I still find that this track, and record as a whole leaves me melancholy. I attest this to frontmans Patrick Walker vocals just dripping with emotion in spite of the more positive content that he's uttering. The result is an eccentric combination of positive messaging and yet crippling sadness. It's as if the artist is in a manner of speaking saying an optimistic mantra but he says it in a way that implies he doesn't really believe in what he is saying. Whether this was the intent or not that was the effect on me personally.
The remainder of the record advances in much the same way, with relaxing acoustic guitars and soulful vocals. Tonally this record is in keeping with their work dating all the way back to the pre 40 Watt Sun era, when they were still known as the Doom Metal group, Warning. The vocals are as emotive as ever, and yet musically they have developed essentially into an acoustic band, albeit with different members. I adore both genres and encourage growth of all kinds, so whatever direction Patrick & Co decide to go from here, I'm aboard.
Overall I love this record, despite any short lived mental side effects it manifests in me. For the record, I am of course being overly dramatic when I say it makes me depressed, as real depression is nothing to joke about. It does however, leave me melancholic and this record is perfect for listening to in a dimly lit room, perhaps powered by a 40 Watt bulb.
