Failed Graves

VINYL FORMAT. Seattle, Washington's LIGHTS have an approach to music that has the combined ability to warm one's heart and blow one's mind. Musically, it's as divorced from blues-tradition rock and roll as you can find and still get away with calling it rock. It's got occasional nods to reverb-soaked surf guitar, Gang of Four-like dance punk, and The Fall. That's all well and good, but a seasoned Lights fan will explain that what one gets with the Lights is a much more cohesive, talented set of songwriters than any of what the above name checks point at. For the most part, the music has got a loosely protest rock vibe about it. However, lyrically, it's just obtuse enough to make one wonder if the Lights aren't on some existential trip. Hard to say with crisply worded turns of phrase that have an immediate, worn-in familiarity even on first listen. It's a kind of magical thing, and it makes the Lights few live performances highly memorable occasions, and their records even more timeless.