Headlights Stuck On Fog Lamp
Illinois natives produce a fairly tame Wildlife.
Headlights
Wildlife
Released on Oct 06, 2009
With more lineup changes and internal tremors than the Bush administration, The Headlights return after 2007’s Some Racing, Some Stopping with their latest effort, Wildlife. The Champaign, Illinois-based trio-turned-quintet-turned-quartet have produced and engineered yet another record completely on their own. Adding to this talent/engineering feat, Wildlife is an album recorded in one-takes. Guitarist/vocalist Tristan Wraight notes, “On this record we just sang, that’s the take, that’s the part, there’s the vocals, here’s the mic, sing the song, done.” Bearing that in mind, The Headlights’ Wildlife, for the most part, fails to roar.
Perhaps the thrill of The Headlights’ previous releases was their ability to capture their uniquely elegant and hushed vocal styles (both Erin and Tristan) and accurately set them up next to the casual pop riffs of a band that was just doing what felt good. Wildlife charges in with this same aesthetic with leadoff track, “Telephones.” Complete with finger snaps and a melody that steadily builds from playful walk to whatever speed it is when we run hand in hand with our lovers in the rain, it’s one of the more successful tracks on the album.
“Secrets” rages onward with another turbo-charged indie-standard that rages through a caterwaul of emotions. The synth backing Erin’s insistence for all the hidden wrinkles in someone’s closet is so on point, self-assured, and beautifully crafted that it’s all one can do to not hope she’s begging for all your skeletons.
Unfortunately these tracks and only a few others are the only ones that stand out on Wildlife. While the idea to record all of the tracks as close to live performances as possible is one that is both appreciated by a listener far too used to being disappointed by live performances and completely in line with The Headlights’ ideals, it’s resulted in a lackluster record otherwise. Too often, the majority of the rest of the album falls into that too-familiar hushed and cliché-ed indie rock hushed and bored feel. The lull of corn-fed slo-mo rock is apparent as is the rush in production. Like I’ve said, it’s recorded well, but there was clearly room for improvement due to the live nature.
Fortunately, there are saving graces. “We’re All Animals” features Tristan finally singing out even though his vocals are still kept under Erin’s. I’ve long contended that his voice is just as strong as hers, but for the majority of the band’s career, they’ve left him in the background. Here, his chops get shown off, as does the band’s true nature: a pleasant, underplayed sound that is immediately conscious of what they are doing – the shy girl in the room, demurely smiling and coaxing you away from the cool kid crowd and into the darker and more comfortable corners of your mind.
No, it’s not their best. Is it worth a listen? For sure. I’ll maintain that The Headlights have a lot of staying power. If they can combine the relative ease with which they recorded Wildlife in a rush with the sort of power-hooks we’ve heard in the past, we’ll see some more great things from the Illinois natives.
High Point
Erin and Tristan both singing the refrain, “I Will Never Let You Go” on “Dead Ends.” It’s one of those moments that, if it happened more than once per record, you’d be a wreck for the rest of the day.
Low Point
“Love Song For Buddy” offers very little other than its placement as a downtempo filler track.
Posted by Mark Steffen on Oct 06, 2009 @ 6:30 am
