Search - Headlights :: Some Racing Some Stopping

Indie Rockers go Indie Pop to Great Effect

Tony Sclafani | 02/22/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Headlights

Some Racing, Some Stopping

(Polyvinyl)

US release date: 19 February 2008

UK release date: 17 March 2008



by Tony Sclafani



With Some Racing, Some Stopping, the Champaign, Illinois trio Headlights steps away from the indie rock of its previous two efforts and jumps headlong into... indie pop territory. Gone are Tristan Wraight's crunchy guitar chords and Erin Fein's art song proclivities. In their place are eleven atmospheric tracks that flirt with classic pop, dream pop, girl group stylings, psychedelia and even bubblegum. Unlike the band's previous two efforts, the Enemies EP and the 2006 CD Kill Them with Kindness, this disc isn't something you'll want to play loud. Instead, you'll want to play it endlessly because the songs are first-rate, the songs are wonderful and...did we mention how good these new songs are?



Even when it gets spacey, the songs on Some Racing, Some Stopping have hooks so catching that if they were a disease, well, I for one would be dying 1,000 deaths. Somewhere along the line composers Wraight and Fein figured out how to craft arrangements that brought out the best in their fragile melodies--and vice versa. From start to finish, there's hardly a dull spot in the lineup. The biggest problem, in fact, is that there's only 33 minutes of music, so every time you play the disc you're left wanting more (hence the above comment about putting the CD on repeat play). There are shades of Rilo Kiley and Rooney, and even Wraight and Fein's old band Absinthe Blind. But Headlights is starting to define its own sound this time around.



The opener, "Get Your Head Around It", sets the tone for the album. Wraight's light electric guitar plucking and boyish vocals mix with Fein's bells to form a dreamlike sound space, after which Brett Saunderson's drums come marching in to lend some groove to the proceedings. "Cherry Tulips", the single, is pure pop candy, an upbeat dance track that has Fein's multitracked vocals running circles around each other in its chorus.



"Market Girl" finds Wraight complaining about some of life's little ups and downs, but his lyric is juxtaposed with one of his most exquisite melodies, making the song either an ode to survival or sadness, depending on your mood. Sleigh bells and a glockenspiel reference 1960s music, as does the Mersey Beat drumming in the following number, "April 2". Both tracks underscore Headlights' unique knack for being able to play music that rocks but still sounds light on its feet. Similarly, Headlights can evoke sounds of yesteryear and also sound up to date, thanks to their smart arrangements and production (the band self-produced the disc at home; Saunderson served as engineer).



The title track is a slow, mournful Fein ballad that uses the metaphor of beating hearts to bemoan people's lack of communication. It's probably an intentional metaphor that her voice is run through a filter here, because even while the spare arrangement leaves lots of room for her singing, it still sounds like she's struggling to communicate. The following track, "So Much for the Afternoon", conjures an entire world using scant instrumentation except some keyboards and Fein's multi-tracked "ooohs" and "aaahs", which carry the melody line.



An arpeggiated guitar line gives "School Boys" a majestic introduction before it moves into a zippy dance groove. Wraight's lyric consists of a bunch of enigmatic lines ("silence all the way home"); it's up to the listener to piece together what he's trying to say. The closer, "January", finds Wraight ruminating about the passage of time to the accompaniment of little more than his acoustic guitar and some percussion. Yet by the tune's end, you start to notice keyboards and electric guitar creeping in, marinating the tune in some melancholy counter-melodies.



The problem with writing about Some Racing, Some Stopping is that the songs seem to float by on gossamer wings, as they say, and it almost feels describing them too intricately would strip away their magic. Some Racing, Some Stopping has the ability to lull you into a dream-like trance, but still keep you tapping your foot all the while. How many records can you say that about?



From Pop Matters -- 22 February 2008



http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/54816/headlights-some-racing-some-stopping/

"

A change of style and pace for Headlights.

Cale E. Reneau | Conroe, Texas United States | 02/23/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In 2006, I opened my mailbox to find a bubblewrap-lined envelope with my name written on it. Who doesn't love coming home to that? I excitedly tore open the brown mailer to find what would soon become one of my favorite albums of that year; Headlights' debut LP, Kill Them With Kindness. It was such a fantastic piece of indie rock, flawless from start to finish, and never letting the 14-song tracklist get the better of them. If there was any complaint to be found against the album, it was that it lacked focus. Some songs would be bombastic California rock jams, others meek, reflective indie rock ballads. This certainly didn't take away from the greatness of the songs themselves, but it was a feature that some took issue with. For their second album, Some Racing, Some Stopping, Headlights has tightened their focus; creating 30+ minutes of dreamy, whistful indie pop. But does this change of style and pace benefit the band the way one would hope? Keep reading.



Album opener, "Get Yer Head Around It," starts with a pleasant, innocuous guitar riff that runs into Tristan Wraight's equally inoffensive vocals. The one-line hook of, "In silence we'll both walk away," is beautifully presented, softly sung over the surrounding instrumentation. In typical Headlights fashion, the song picks up soon enough and finds Tristan and Erin Fein trading off "bas" and "oohs" in a very Mates of State-ish manner. It's a gorgeous song that doesn't try to do too much. The next song and first single, "Cherry Tulips," is a dreamy, airy indie pop song that is so reminiscent of Rilo Kiley's The Execution of All Things album, that I found myself wanting to go and listen to it as soon as this song wrapped up. Fein sings of a sea of Cherry Tulips, confessing, "I want the sea, I want the whole sea for you and me," as haunting vocals echo her words in the background.



"Market Girl" is my personal favorite track on the album, due, in part, to the fact that the opening guitar line is so contagious and danceable. It is indie pop at its most flawless and entertaining. Tristan takes over on vocals again here, spitting out verses like a tommy-gun spits out bullets (fast),but Erin backs him up gently. I've listened to this song at least a dozen times now, and I still can't get enough of it.



"On April 2" is the album's first misstep, finding Fein singing an unaffecting vocal melody over an unrefined and muddled composition of organs, guitars, and drums. To be sure, this is the first time that Headlights has ever really done such a thing, as every other song of theirs that I know of is at least somewhat catchy. This one just seems to fall short on so many levels. It's short though, so you won't have to put up for it for too long. "School Boys" is a softer, more reflective song that once again finds Fein and Wraight trading vocals. Tristan take the lead, while Erin provides some very well-placed "do do dos." The ending of the song finds trumpets and strings harmonizing with one another, adding a small but terrific touch to this simple, yet admirable song.



Title track, "Some Racing, Some Stopping" is equally as simple and impressive, featuring minimal instrumentation and a distinctive lo-fi sound. Fein sings softly over a rhodes organ, "If you could hold, hold, hold your heart in your hand would no one demand to know how you're feeling cause you've shown them already?" later adding, "With your heart on your sleeve, there's no secrets you can keep anymore." It's a very touching song, and one that is made better by the fact that it's so low-key and calming. "So Much for the Afternoon" is a strange song to say the least. Featuring no real vocals other than Erin's airy "oohs" and "aahs," -- which, frankly, we've already heard enough of by this point -- it fails to capture the attention of the listener. By the time she actually starts singing actual words, there's so much reverb on them that it hard to distinguish what she's actually saying. It is another unfortunate, skippable track.



"Catch Them All" is, in fact, not the theme song to Pokemon, but how cool would that have been? Despite that fact, this is one of Some Racing, Some Stopping's better tracks that once again picks up the tempo in a way that fans of Headlights are more accustomed to hearing. It's got a very bouncy, guitar pop feel to it, and it's perfectly executed by the band. "Towers" brings back the organ to complement a very playful, Erin-sung melody. She sings, "Whisper like a summer breeze, all the secrets secrets keep," with an innocent tone. As usual, things eventually build, adding in more assertive drums, and strings all the way to the song's abrupt end. The album ends with "January," a solemn, comedown track. Wraight does vocals here, which is good because his voice is more suited to this type of song. Xylophones, steady guitar strums, and what I believe is the faint sound of a harmonium really carry this song and make it more poignant that it should be. Wraight is able to slip out a tired line like, "Time just marches on," on more than one occasion, but everything is so perfectly orchestrated that it's difficult to not let it come in and affect you.



In the end, Some Racing, Some Stopping, is not as flawless as its predecessor. It's biggest drawback is its lack of immediate appeal. It took me a few listens to get used to the band's new style and sound, and even more for me to appreciate it as it deserved to be. But after all those listens, I can't help but be pleased with my experience with Headlights' new album. While it does have a few low points, the majority of Some Racing, Some Stopping is a beautiful, though not entirely unique, piece of indie pop that is sure to be playing in my stereo well into 2008. I highly recommend this album to everyone that liked Kill Them With Kindness (especially the tracks, "Signs Point to Yes (But Outlook Not So Good)," and "Pity City"). It may take a few listens to get your head around it, but it will be worth it.



Key Tracks:

1. "Get Yer Head Around It"

2. "Cherry Tulips"

3. "Market Girl"

4. "Some Racing, Some Stopping"

5. "January"



7 out of 10 Stars"

Better than Kill Them with Kindness

Clayton Williams | 03/06/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A strong follow-up to their previous album Kill Them with Kindness. No song on the album is as strong as their single "Put us back together right", but as a whole it's consistently better and quite a bit more substantial."