 "Photo:")
In these modern times, first impressions are everything, and any band knows that. So the first few seconds of the first song on an album needs a hook, and it must be good enough to grab the fleeting attention span of today’s listener. What I am basically getting at here is that the album “Adult Nights” by the indie/rock band Wild Light has that hook.
From what little information I could track down about this band, I have come to the conclusion that they have had some tumultuous times. The band was originally formed when the members where only in high school, but came to a temporary close when they went their separate ways for college, all across the country. They came together once again in 2005 in Southern New Hampshire, and began to record once more. Having only released one EP in 2007, their debut album “Adult Nights,” released March 3, is their biggest undertaking yet. And although it seems to be trying with some difficulty to fit into the genre of music with bands such as The Arcade Fire, it does have its key elements, which set Wild Light aside from the rest.
The first track of the album, “California On My Mind,” is arguably the best song on the whole album, with its catchy hooks of “fuck California” and its obvious message against a particular state. This may not necessarily be a good thing though, because there are still twelve tracks left for the listener. The second track, called “New Hampshire,” must be relating to where the band started up again, but the lyrics are slightly repetitive, and does not strongly compliment the first track. This song leads on through steady snare rolls and a chorus of “nah nah nah’s” into the next song, “Canyon City.” This song is more upbeat than the last, but really doesn’t deviate too much from the pattern of a large sound created by reverb and more instruments than they can physically play.
The next notable track on this album comes in at number five, and is the second most popular. Titled “Call Home,” it incorporates a section of horns that give it a vibe different from the rest of the songs, and has a bass line that gets the listeners attention. A fade out moves into the tambourines and rhythmically moving guitar of track number six, “Heart Attack.” The album tends to flow very well from song to song, and can bring the listener in if they are in the right mood. It carries on through a few more songs and into the closer track, “Red House,” which still cannot beat the sound of the first song.
After a brief piano-like interlude called “Surfers Reprise,” “Red House” has the same architecture as most of the other songs, which of course is a good combination of all their instruments, but does not have the same pop-type feel that really keeps people listening. It picks up more near the end, with a group chant of “nothing nothing nothing nothing, nowhere, no one” and ends with just a simple strumming guitar and cool layered vocals, which are a contrast from the big sound of all the other songs. After the sound has dissipated the listener can be left with a feeling of enlightenment, with the upbeat tones still lingering in their ears.
There is a great deal of variety within the album, no doubt, but at some point the sound of so many added instruments becomes somewhat hectic, which makes me wonder how a four piece band would include all the shakers and tambourines at a live show. I don’t exactly think I would sing their praises, but I would definitely recommend them to anyone who is into angst, calm, and slightly ambient indie music. They admittedly are slightly generic, but in a good way. I would give this album three out of five; decent, but not spectacular.
Be the first to comment on this article!