If you have a love for smart electropop with the stylings of an indie band, you will absolutely fall in love with Little Daylight's debut album: Hello Memory. The Brooklyn-born trio spent the better part of last year setting the blogosphere on fire with their odd mix of tribal-esque beats and cutting-edge electronic production through the occasional single and various remixes (this Niki & The Dove remix is stellar). Their Tunnel Vision EP was a perfect representation for the band as they set to establish themselves as a more organic version of CHVRCHES.
Their biggest hit to date "Overdose" was an in-your-face killer of a track and follow-up single "Glitter & Gold" continued their trend of sparky uptempo electropop. They're EP caught the eye of many music critics and even led to an opening spot on Charli XCX's American Tour in 2013 (she even remixed "Glitter & Gold"). With all the buzz behind the band, they took their time to deliver on their debut record, even though it is a pretty huge departure from the sound we all fell in love with.
Deciding to take a darker turn, Little Daylight's buzz single "Siren Call" shows the group creating a sinister atmosphere to match the harsh tones of their earthy beats. While not an unwelcome change, the album that followed this theme ended up being a rather bland affair. Though the album does include Overdose, there isn't much in terms of standout tracks as each song fails to capture the spirit of the energetic group. "Mona Lisa" and "Nothing To Lose" have some attractive qualities behind the production and "Runaround" is the closest we get to the bounciness of "Glitter & Gold" but overall, Hello Memory is an underwhelming record in terms of sound and lyrics.
I added the "Name In Lights" video because it is by far the group's best song and should have been the blueprint behind the new album. The slinky breeziness of this song captures the hope of a young band searching to have their name in lights. I stand by my opinion that many people will love this album especially if you were looking for a smart American version of CHVRCHES and NONONO. It just happens to be that I prefer Little Daylight's earlier stuff and they still have the potential to surprise me hopefully.
Best Listened To: On your way to SXSW
Standout Tracks: "Overdose" "Mona Lisa" "Runaround"
NSOTPop Rating: 5.5/10
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