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Attic Lights are the latest band to come out of the Scottish scene and offer their debut 'Friday Night Lights' eagerly to the world. Album opener ‘Never Get Sick Of The Sea’ lays down a good sound with its Beach Boys style harmonies and the grunge guitars riffs that give Attic Lights quite an American but also early indie (think of The Charlatans) edge to their music. That's not to say that they can't turn their hands to more gentle styles, which they do in ‘Bring You Down’ using guitars and steady drumming and ‘Wendy’- a gorgeous ballad that will have all the fans singing and swaying along at their gigs.
‘Dark Eyes’ uses the fail safe build up as sad melancholy piano playing breaks into a towering crescendo which shows they’re not a band all about the smash and grab style music but rather they woo their fans gently and envelop them in a wall of sound which produces just as powerful a song. ‘Nothing But Love’ brings the album back to the grunge sounds of ‘Never Get Sick Of The Sea’ and ‘Bring You Down’ but there is a twist of 60’s country in this song too which gives it just that little lift to make it a refreshing difference.
The two best tunes on 'Friday Night Lights' are ‘The Dirty Thirst’ and ‘Walkie Talkie’ - the first is a perfect blend of all the best elements of the album and is carried by the strong vocals and skilful lyrics much like ‘Walkie Talkie’, which harks back to the grunge rock sound of the early 90s .
Things start to wind down as ‘Late Night Sunshine’ leaps in to the calm before the lighter moment ‘Winter On’ which is a step further in to that calm and makes a good end to a fantastic album. Be sure to ear mark Attic Lights as a band of which big things can be expected of in the coming months.
