Album Details

• Artist: Lightouts
• Album: Want
• Label:
• Year of Release: 2013
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: rockthusiast on 2013-02-22

Out of the murkiness that is the area around the Gowanus Canal in New York City, something beautiful is emerging - A shining light if you will, a force powered by razor-sharp guitars and mechanically precise drums that was thought to be fading, but is apparently ready for another revival.

 Lightouts are the latest assemblage to have literally grown from Brooklyn indie folklore. Legend has it guitarist and Lightouts architect Gavin Rhodes posted a flyer near the canal simply looking for the next Robert Smith or Emily Haines (of Metric fame). Rhodes found Greg Nelson and his rich, baritone-ish voice, and they hit it off so organically, it was like they had been working together for years. Or rather, it didn't take them long to start creating music that would have fit in swimmingly during the early stages of the post-punk revolution with The Cure, Joy Division, and Echo & the Bunnymen. Music they have since distilled down to 13 tracks for their March 5th debut, Want.

If you're someone who still believes in guitar-driven indie/alternative, then "want" is how you should be feeling about Lightouts' album. The instrumentation oscillates from jittery (as if they've had too much caffeine) to intermittent shrieking to all-out, wall of sound shoegaze that Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine would tip his hat to. Where the real potential with Lightouts lies, however, is in how darn catchy some of these songs are while incorporating elements of other genres like grunge and New Wave...with handclaps to boot! I dare you to overcome any timidity you may have by shouting along to "The Cure for Shyness" at the top of your lungs. I also encourage any and all rock appreciators to go to Lightouts.com  where you can preorder Want or even help fund it, crowdsource style. Oh, and make sure to check out their video for album opener "Not Today", streaming on MusicEmissions.com.

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