ELLIE GOULDING - Lights
ELLIE GOULDING - Lights
Written by Shahlin Graves   
Wednesday, 26 May 2010 10:27
Ellie Goulding - Lights As far as I'm concerned, the current influx of brilliant debut albums from U.K. female(-fronted) artists, are all keep-sakes for my music library. Last year, England gave us Florence + The Machine, Little Boots, VV Brown and La Roux... this year, Marina & The Diamonds have been a hot export, as well as our 2010 debutante favourite, ELLIE GOULDING.

But! As far as you are concerned, Ellie's just another name amidst a sea of pretty fishes, that also include Eliza Doolittle, I Blame Coco, Sunday Girl and Diana Vickers - not to mention comeback albums from Kate Nash, Laura Marling and Goldfrapp...

If you haven't been a fan of the songs released as singles from 'Lights' so far, I highly recommend you check out the 'must-listen' tracks I've named below. 'Starry Eyed' is my least favourite Ellie song - towards which I feel a little bit of the same animosity (diluted tenfold of course), that I harbour towards Katy Perry's 'I Kissed A Girl' - hate the cheesiness of the first single; generally love the rest of the album.
Other singles 'Guns And Horses' and 'Under The Sheets', are better representations of the schmaltzy song-affairs that Goulding is perfectly competent at painting. 'Guns And Horses' opens the album, drawing you into a world of lessons learned and unrequited love, a.k.a. reality. When Ellie sings - "Let's type words / Because they amount to nothing" - she really hits the nail on the head. At twenty-two, Goulding views the world through a kaleidoscope of forthright honesty. It's not what we talk, it's how we talk.

Unlike Little Boots, Goulding's got smarts. She further shows off her discerning observations of matters of the heart in 'This Love (Will Be Your Downfall)' - wondering "who am I to choose the boy that everyone adores?". Ellie herself, says that - "I also like to dig deep when it comes to lyrics. I'm aware of how I'm feeling at the time, so it's impossible for me to write words that are contrived or meaningless." - and the depths of 'Lights', are great indeed.

Goulding really hits her stride, mid-way through 'Lights'. Tracks five to seven - 'The Writer', 'Everytime You Go' and 'Wish I Stayed' - are wistful hits of heart-attacking parley and soliloquies. Ellie's insistence on including guitar parts in every song, make them fresher and fuller, than the offerings of her synthpop counterparts.

I also personally find it amusing that Goulding named the album 'Lights', since I like to think of her (fondly) as a British version of Canadian singer/songwriter (and keytarist!), Lights... and a final thing certain to make you fall madly in love - you Passion Pit fans, you - listen to Starsmith's remix of Passion Pit's 'Sleepyhead' featuring Ellie Goulding's vocals.

MUST-LISTEN: 'Wish I Stayed', 'The Writer', 'Every Time You Go', 'This Love (Will Be Your Downfall)', 'Your Biggest Mistake'.
HEARTOMETER: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 [ out of 10 ]
YOU WILL LIKE, IF YOU LIKE: Lights, Marina & The Diamonds, Lykke Li, Passion Pit, La Roux, Tegan & Sara... and wishing upon shooting stars.
WATCH: This acoustic version of 'Wish I Stayed'...
 

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