A Rough Guide: Lights

I should probably get myself a late card, because from what i understand Lights has been around for a little while, but only recently have i discovered her. She was first bought to my attention on the latest Bring Me the Horizon Album where she provides some back up vocals, straight away i thought she had an amazing voice, so i decided it was time to do some further investigating!

At this point its important to remind you that Lights is indeed her real name, before which she was known as Valerie Anne Poxleitner, but legally changed her name to Lights, which is pretty cool! She won a Juno in 2009 for Best Newcomer, the Juno awards are basically the Canadian equivalent of the Brit Awards.
The music that Lights makes is perfect dream pop music, with cutesy sounding beats and a note perfect voice that makes you feel warm inside.
Truth be told i don't know too much else about her, only from what i've gathered from her Facebook page and various findings on the internet, but ill give you a little something about a few of her releases and why everyone needs Lights in their life!


The Listening

The listening starts with the upbeat opener "Saviour" which bops along like a track that Mae would have done if they wasn't a full band, all big choruses and auto-tuned vocals and has you hooked straight away. Tracks like "Drive My Soul" and "February Air" pay a homage to the Postal Service and will have you tapping your feet along like the first time you listened to "Give Up". Lead track and single from the album was "Ice" which has a more commercial edge and sounds like something Ellie Goulding should have released.
The album is something that makes you want to put some candles on, crank your headphones up and slip away into another world, and you probably wont want it to end as its over all to quickly.
It would be easy for any detractors to write this album off as just another twee One Tree Hill soundtrack, but its alot more than that, and yes you could say there are obvious references to The Postal Service and Owl City here, but everyone who makes music has an influence from somewhere! Its a simple pop album that will make for nice listening in the summer.


Acoustic EP

This little acoustic EP shows more diversity to Lights, and that she isnt just a cute girl with a programmer and a keyboard composing songs on Garage Band (which there would be no harm in anyone doing!).
The acoustic versions of  "River", "February Air" and "Saviour" sound gorgeous as they are stripped back to just Lights and her guitar, giving her a sound that is reminiscent of fellow Canadians Tegan and Sara. Other songs "Romance Is..." is a beautiful melodic offering with her voice echoing through your speakers and does have an Ellie Goulding sound to it. 
Suprise track on here is a cover of punk legends Rancid's "Fall Back Down" which on paper shouldn't work, but it really does, taking an upbeat ska punk song and making it sound her own is no easy task, but she pulls it off on this EP.
Definitely one worth getting your hands on, and i would love to hear more acoustic numbers from Lights.


Other Releases

• Lights EP - 4 out of the 6 track appear on The Listening, but other tracks "White" and "I Owe You One" need to be heard!

Where to Hear Them

Lights on Facebook

Lights on Myspace

Further Listening

If you enjoy lights, then you should probably listen to, or already be listening too the following.

• The Postal Service
• Mae
• Tegan and Sara
• Ellie Goulding
• Nedry

I hope you enjoyed this little guide to Lights! she has a new album due this year, and already released one single from it, so stay tuned!

Glen xo