Sunday, 15 December 2013

Ellie Goulding- Lights Album Review


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Album- Lights
Artist- Ellie Goulding

For anyone who wasn’t paying attention this year, Ellie Goulding has had a really awesome year in music. Not only has she toured the world and furthered her international fame, but she has also enjoyed such mega hits as the Calvin Harris hook up ‘I Need Your Love’ and latest single ‘Burn’. However, one thing I have kind of noticed this year is that she has kind of changed in terms of success from albums to singles. That is whilst I am not saying that her previous singles didn’t sell well, but this year her singles are on fire in terms of sales, whilst her first album did doubly better in terms of sales than its predecessor. So why have so many people bought her debut album Lights?

Track 1- Guns and Horses

Described by Goulding as a song about frustration and inspired by an online relationship, Guns and Horses is a big opener to the record that finds Gouldings delicate voice stretched over pulsating durm rhythms and simmering synth notes. The song nicely blends a more acoustical feel with a lsight electronic push in the chorus that makes things really catchy, whilst the message of wanting to feel more and pushing harder in a relationship is wrapped around a simple, catchy chorus. Goulding’s vocals are maybe stretched a bit too much in places on the track and a greater sense of clarity would be appreciated, but the track is a strong slice of pop that gets your attention fully engaged in the album.

3.5/5

Track 2- Starry Eyed

The singers first big hit, Starry Eyed is an uptempo pop number where Goulding lyrically expresses the idea of letting go as she repeats the sentiment that everyone is starry eyed. The song feels so euphoric in all aspects that it is prime material for a live performance where crowds can go wild, whilst Gouldings soft vocal tones and nice control gives the song an airiness that perfectly captures the lyrics euphoric essence. The toe tapping grooves of the track with the snappy percussion and swirling electronic flourishes makes for a vibrant energy to the track that immediately captivates the listener, so it is easy to see why this was Goulding’s breakout hit in the UK.

3.5/5

Track 3- This Love (Will Be Your Downfall)

This Love takes things down to a softer level in places and a more emotionally wrought state but keeps things vibrant within the chorus and features the frenzied electro rhythms that nicely melds with the twangy guitar notes. The song lyrically focuses on the idea of Goulding feeling like this person doesn’t really want her and expressing the sentiment that this relationship is all about love but it is ultimately doomed. With the angelic texture of her voice that is brought out nicely in middle section, Goulding really brings the songs lyrical message to life, and with the cross between a forceful sound and a melancholic lyrical and vocal tone, it is quite surprising that this song remained an album track, as it could have easily been a cool pop hit.

3.5/5

Track 4- Under the Sheets

More of a buzz single than the records actually first single, Under the Sheets is a powerful pop piece that could easily be mistaken for having a sensual side if you take it at face value with regards to the tracks title. But that is really a mistake, as this is actually a lyrically dark tune that focuses on a relationship that is based too much in the physical and isn’t actually a stable relationship that can work in the outside world. The song features a really strong vocal from Goulding that simmers with emotion and nicely stretches from a subdued feel in the verses to a really hard hitting, powerful tone in the chorus. And with the glittering synths and clashing drum beats that sound like they would be amazing to hear live, for me it is a shame that this song wasn’t a bigger song than it was, cause it is actually superior to some of her other hits.

4/5

Track 5- The Writer

The records first ballad finds Goulding expressing her wish to change for this person just so they know her feelings and can actually proper take notice of her. It is a lyrically poetical music piece that taps into a nice bit of human fragility, and with the more subdued tone of this track Goulding’s voice really shines and she holds notes and rises and falls in a beautiful way that makes the lyrics that touch more powerful. The synth undertones of the record give a slight 80’s synthpop texture to track, whilst the piano melody and thumping drums add weight and drama to the lyrics that shows that Goulding wants what she is wishing for more than anything.

3.5/5

Track 6- Every Time You Go

Featuring some snappy percussion and being slightly more ominous feeling in tone than the previous tracks, Every Time You Go is a song where Goulding wants again focuses on this relationship where things are a bit volatile but that the love is still kind of there and they just need to be reminded of it. It lacks a solid pop chorus but the turbulent elements of the lyrics makes the listening more invested in the song, whilst the vocals sway and fall in a way that makes the feeling that more real. The only thing with this record is that whilst the snappy tone and heavy rock sensibility of the track is cool to listen to, in some places the electronic side of the production doesn’t quite meld in the way that the other songs have so perfectly.

3/5

Track 7- Wish I’d Stayed

Wish I’d Stayed is the first song that Goulding ever wrote, which kind of just goes to show how great an artist she was even in her early music life. The song focuses on Goulding singing about this relationship where she remembers the sweet times and invokes some nice imagery that makes her wish that she had stayed within that time of her life. The message is something that is instantly relatable whilst the complexity of the lyrics assembly brings an intensity and depth to the track that a lot of pop artists work lacks. Her vocals are cool if a bit too electronically altered in some places, and whilst the clattering electro pop production gives a dramatic edge to the song, it does kind of overwhelm you a bit, and the acoustic version of the song is superior.

3/5

Track 8- Your Biggest Mistake

Your Biggest is more of a simpler electro pop affair that is all about Goulding telling this person that they don’t really understand the situation and that it is a waste that they don’t just fully acknowledge their feelings and dive into love. The message is powerful and the chorus is instantly catchy, and whilst her vocals are quite distorted, it actually makes for an interesting tone to the track that adds to its appeal. Producer Fraser T. Smith provides some cool, swirling electro flourishes to the track and gives the song an almost disco ball sheen that makes it this catchy, delectable, glittery musical affair that would have also worked well as a single.

3.5/5

Track 9- I’ll Hold My Breath

With a haunting, echoing intro that marks the track out as lyrically touching and potent from the beginning, I’ll Hold My Breath finds Goulding telling this person that she will always love them no matter what the risk and what is going on around them, with the song being cute in its honesty and loved up essence, with Goulding once again brilliantly invoking imagery that captivates the listener, although at times it might be a bit clichéd. The fuzzy rhythms of the songs electronic notes and the rumbling bass gives the song this rolling intensity that captures that essence of holding your breath in love every nicely, whilst the vocals are stronger here as we get a nice sense of the true texture of Goulding’s voice, and with that final synthpop flourish at the end, this penultimate track nicely starts to bring the record to a good finish.

3.5/5

Track 10- Salt Skin

Final track Salt Skin ends the album on a more sonically heavy note with rumbling synth beats that are bit darker in tone. The sound reflects the darkness of the lyrics in which Goulding expresses her human frailty in giving so much of herself to this person. The song also nicely shows some of the singer’s depth and some nice range, and as a final track this also works nicely as a possible hint of the darker direction that Ellie Goulding could go in.

3.5/5

Final Review

Lights is a solid pop record from an intriguing artist who nicely puts her stamp on the music world for her cool blend of pop with some folksy sensibilities and fierce electronic sounds. The track features really great, tightly structured lyrics and a sound that is really cool and interesting and attention grabbing, although at times it can be a bit overpowering. It is a good pop album, and the only reason I can really think of it doing better than her sophomore set is that she was a new artist coming to the forefront of the music scene with her first album, and so the build-up of herself as an artist probably just naturally led to higher album sales.
7.5/10

Best Track- Under the Sheets

Worst Track- Every Time You Go

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