Ellie Goulding topped the BBC’s Sound of 2010 poll and won the Critics’ award at the BRIT’s, all before she released her debut album, Lights. I can’t help but think this may have done her more harm than good as expectations of the album are high.
Goulding is a young talent, who writes her own songs and has a unique style, fusing Folk and Electronica. Her chief collaborator is Fin Dow-Smith, aka Starsmith, who produced the majority of the songs on the album and co-wrote four of them.
The album is consistently confident throughout from opener Guns and Horses, Goulding sounds like a woman who knows exactly what she's doing with a clear understanding of her market.
It's all well made with tracks like Starry Eyed, with its stop-start dynamics and killer chorus whilst the punchy Under The Sheets is as aggressive as it gets. The delicate flutter of Wish I'd Stayed is the skilfully crafted sound-scaped highlight of the album.
On ballads like The Writer and I’ll Hold My Breath, Goulding’s voice swells and cracks giving a sense of a real emotional connection. She mixes heartfelt emotion with other-worldly atmospherics, spins cool Electronica into dreamy warmth.
Salt Skin, the last track on the album and the last track that was written and recorded is a restless mix of humming bass, popping beats and a processed choir.
Lights is a pleasant collection of songs delivered confidently by Goulding, and for the most part, the strength of her songwriting and her vocals should silence her critics.
Tracklisting:
1. Guns and Horses
2. Starry Eyed
3. This Love (Will Be Your Downfall)
4. Under the Sheets
5. The Writer
6. Every Time You Go
7. Wish I Stayed
8. Your Biggest Mistake
9. Swimming Pool
10. Salt Skin
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