BestInBritishMusic: 19 January 2009
ALBUM REVIEW: London, England by The Lightyears
19 January 2009�
Tara O, BestInBritishMusic, Ontario, Canada
Unlike a lot of rock bands these days, the first thing you’ll notice about The Lightyears is their rich, full sound and ample use of instruments at their disposal, making you believe you’re listening to more than a three piece band. And look out, because these guys are on a creative spurt, releasing ‘London, England’ on January 19, 2009 – hot on the heels of their September 2008 EP.
For their debut, these Londonites are taking an approach reminiscent of prog gone by. It kicks off with a guitar and drum instrumental and a voice over to “Mind the Gap” – a reference to the album title’s famous Underground system. The track sets the overall tone for this essentially post-prog rock album with some pop deviations, before returning to their roots – and this is where The Lightyears shine and make you want more.
The band share production duties on ‘London, England’ with four-time Grammy winner Hugh Padgham, who draws from his decades of experience as a renowned producer and engineer to such acts as Yes, Genesis, Split Enz, Peter Gabriel, and The Police. Along with these artists, some of the band’s musical influences (The Beatles, Cream) can also be heard. Through all of this, the production helps ensure the album’s various musical personalities don’t result in anything too schizophrenic.
While these 2007 Indy Award Winners for Best Pop/Rock Act hold their own, the melodic Doves-like In Black Eyes is a pleasure and She’s the One, I’m Not and That Was Us help satisfy our rock craving. Apart from the slightly Supertramp-ed Sleepless, pop tunes Filmstar and Emily initially feel somewhat out of place, but grow on you until you catch yourself, as I did this week, unconsciously humming some hooks and choruses (argh!) that, after further listens, start to enhance the album overall.
It’s possible that because the band is strong vocally and the many instrumental breaks are such a joy, that you notice some relative weaknesses in the otherwise acceptable lyrics – most notably in She’s the One, Filmstar, and England. Amping up the rather straightforward This House Will Burn would also better complement the other tracks, as would simply removing England and bonus track Hero – both of which leave you wondering about their direction and purpose on the album. Yet even these weaknesses don’t warrant the effort to hit ‘next’ on your CD player, or make sure they’re excluded from your rip list.
‘London, England’ is a great upbeat album – and a surefire way to beat those winter blues! It will grow on you with a sound as suitable for your stereo as it is live.
The Lightyears have a lot of artistic potential and it’s easy to envision them getting even more gutsy, leaving the pop tunes behind and focusing on what they clearly do best – producing great post-prog rock — something all too lacking in today’s indie music universe.
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