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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