Headlights is an indie rock band located in Campaign, Illinois. They formed in 2004 after the break up of a band named Absinthe Blind. Wildlife is the band’s third record and was released on Polyvinyl records, home to critic favourites like Asobi Seksu, Architecture in Helsinki and Of Montreal. Is this album their best release yet or just a shadow of their debut album Kill Them With Kindness?
They first released their EP The Enemies in 2004, then followed with a split single with the Canadian band The Most Serene Republic which was how I got to know the band. Their debut album entitled Kill Them With Kindness that came out in 2006 was positively received by critics. However since then the band seem to have been developing their sound and style a bit. I would say they had more shoegaze elements and upbeat tempoed songs, and by the sound of their later album releases the style has gotten a much “softer” and pop oriented sound. Which is not a bad thing as bands who develop their sounds are better those who stick with the same old, worn out formula.
The album starts off with an interesting build and although I must say its a bit underwhelming at first, it manages to pick up nicely at the end with some electronic guitar improvisation. However right afterwards starts a good example of very generic overdone indie pop melodies, with little challenging and thoughtful tunes, nothing more than sounds to pass time with. Hurray for generic synthesizer background music!
When you reach the 4th track, “Get Going,” it starts picking up and very enjoyable tunes with a personality appear. it’s a really good pop song and even with the generic chords the melody still works with its playful and careful additional effects. It’s a good improvement compared to the horrible keyboard/synthesizer-based songs before it. The pleasant melodies continue with “Love Song For Buddy,” a simple piano melody with nice lush vocals and a soothing tempo. Unfortunately it falls a bit short on the next song when the anticipation arrives. The next track is way too similar to many songs they have made before, unfortunately only ending up sounding worse. As I stated in beginning this album really falls into being a mixture of quality that isn’t around steadily despite the promises with a few gems. The songs with acoustic elements tend to be the complimentary songs, which seems like a style they handle well alongside minimal effects and sounds. An example of this is the track “Wiscousin Beaches” and previously “Get Going.” In comparison, the most “busy” melodies are just forgetable and mindlessly repetive. The worst offenders and best examples of this are the songs “Secrets” and “I Don’t Mind At All”. Despite mentioning some promising tracks earlier, “We’re All Animals” is truly the song that shines through the most on this album, again proving their excellent skill with crafting pop songs with acoustic references, that are not in high tempo or with many forgettable layers.
Headlights is a strong indie rock band but unfortunately their songs end up as an incomplete package without anything stellar shining through. The album still manages to indicate something pleasant though, despite its shortcomings with some tracks. It’s not at all a horrible album, it really has its enjoyable moments. However, it falls short if you are to compare it to other releases this year. Keep in mind to appreciate the sound of this band though, it isn’t something you hear too often even if it’s not mighty original. It’s truly well crafted when at it’s best. Anyway, let’s cross our fingers for a more complete experience of an album the next time.