Oh Lights, where do I begin with your latest masterpiece? When the first single 'Up We Go' was released it was just before my trip around Europe which i'd spent the entire year slaving away at work for. The lyrics struck me and I wondered whether you'd picked up the art of mind-reading and chosen to devour mine. I held a dance party in my mind to the delicious tune and screamed along as loud as my inner voice could possibly manage... I probably looked like i'd lost my marbles.
Fast forward to a tiny hostel room tucked away in a corner of Ljubljana where I was almost at the end of my trip. It was an incredible journey I went on but not the easiest. On a tough day I holed up under the sheets and discovered you'd put out 'Portal.' The simple yet stunning tune circled my mind and made my excitement for the full album tenfold. Again, it was like you'd strung together a series of beautiful words and made sense of this mess in my mind. Just a couple of weeks later I was home and listening to the two very different but equally fantastic songs on repeat when I stumbled across a live version of 'Running With The Boys.' The audio wasn't great but I could hear the general sound of the song well enough to know it was another perfect example of your synthy brilliance. I felt sick with nostalgia for all the summers past that disappeared as fast as the leaves fell off the trees, 'we were half this heavy and twice this loud,' lodged itself in my brain.
When Little Machines streamed all the way through I don't think I moved for days, only to hit the play button over and over when the album came to end. 'Same Sea' made me want to straight up dance with the funky vocal pattern and infectious chorus all 'ooohs' and stomping drums. Picturing myself driving in my beat up little car, windows down as 'Speeding' crooned through my speakers all laid back, carefree vibes. I was already 100% sure this was going to be one of my favourite albums this year, perhaps even ever, when 'Muscle Memory' got its turn to dazzle me. The groove on that song is unbe-bloody-lievable! My brain yelled 'I quit!' and my heart burst with pride and excitement for you. Your vocals are utter perfection even the harmonies have a special place in my heart. And don't even get me started on the lyrics... 'I grew used to being back here.' You've definitely been reading my mind.
The heaviness of the music matches the somber subject of 'Oil and Water' where your contrasting delicate to strong vocals risk outshining the sun. I don't know whether it was on purpose either but I love how there is contrast in your vocals like oil and water and, I'm guessing, the people the song is about. One minute we're speeding then we 'Slow Down' but by no means does my eagerness to blast this album at full volume all day, every day. The moody, steady pace initially reminded me of Siberia but then the lively chorus hit and I was thinking how tired my feet are going to get dancing away to this album. The bleeping synths and layered 'ooohs' on the bridge, whilst simple, emphasises the spirited chorus and makes it hit that bit harder on the final round. Twinkling, spiky synths and a thumping beat introduce 'Meteorites' that will no doubt be winding its way around everyone's heads long after listening with its groove almost as epic as on 'Muscle Memory.'
Your vocals lead 'How We Do It' with such charm I found myself grinning at my computer screen and wishing I had this song to blast on the endless train journey's through Europe when we had 'nowhere to be.' In a lot of places Little Machines felt like the perfect soundtrack to my brief adventure - from the moment I decided to go right until now where I'm at home suffocating under my wanderlust - but 'How We Do It' tracks the time I was actually abroad. 'Don't Go Home Without Me' is effortlessly gorgeous, the emotion in your vocals could have hardened men choking on their tears.
The bonus tracks are just as bewitching as the main album starting with the fragility of 'Child' and the darker, restrained sound of 'Lucky Ones' both sharing lyrics that are once more so on point it's spooky. For a moment, when I first heard 'From All Sides,' I thought I was in a western film with the twanging guitars that soon led into a song unlike any other on this album. The synths beep, bop and jump; the vocals soar and it ends with all the electronics cutting off into acoustic loveliness that I didn't want to end.
From start to finish Little Machines is breathtaking. Technically, it's a fantastic electro-pop effort that should make it's mark in the world of synths and capture the attention of a whole new wave of fans drawn in by the undeniable spark of it. Personally this album - which fittingly was officially released on my birthday - has carved out a special place in my own 'petrified heart' that's rebelling against leaving my teen years behind and trying to find a way to be okay with being stuck back in a valley and not running free. With every listen it gets a little easier so Lights, thank you.
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