Softlightes - Say no to being cool say yes to being happy
(Modular, 2007)
The wise rhetoric of the Californian indie-pop band’s debut album title can be regarded from two different perspectives. One is the general way Softlightes’ beautifully-softvoiced leader Ron Fountenberry describes it – to listen to music that you like rather than what’s cool, although it’s bordering on hypocrisy for an artist on the so hot right now Modular roster to dispense that advice. The second way to interpret the title is as it relates to the artistic merits of the album itself, to forget about people’s perceptions, and create an album that produces happiness. It’s here that this album truly succeeds, as whether it’s the cyborg foot stomp of The Robots In My Bedroom Were Playing Arena Rock, or the pining nomadic loneliness of A Town Named Blue, there is an embracing assertion of hope; warm and anxiety-conquering like a the feel of a cuddle as you sleep. Guitars, computers and pianos all lead different tracks, but throughout the melodic record’s entirety there remains an indelibly human touch and a need to connect with other people. When Fountenberry leads The Microwave Song’s anthemic chorus of I am just a microwave, it doesn’t matter that the anthem is meaningless, when it’s the act of singing it with somebody else that’s unifying. American bands of a similar sound like The Flaming Lips and The Postal Service have been issuing material along the same lines for a while, but shrugging Softlightes off as just another in a long indie-pop line would be like dismissing Marvin Gaye because The Four Tops had already done Motown. An endearing album with life-improving potential.
