Church Of The Very Bright Lights
Gang Crimes

The Church Of The Very Bright Lights, apart from having one of the worst names in history, present us with a successful fusion of sadcore and dream.

It must be said that this self-produced debut isn't bad at all. The Calgary trio focuses on melodic synthesis and manages to create its own sound, made of shy delay arpeggios and slightly nervous rhythms, which in their apparent calm instill a certain anxiety.

The problem is that they come off as a bit repetitive, and at times, it feels like they don't give their compositions the right incisiveness.

The dreamy “Words” stands out, dominated by a wild guitar, and the tender acoustic of “Politicking”, reminiscent of “Fruit Tree” by the great Nick Drake, yet manages to surpass it in melancholy.

Also noteworthy are the claustrophobic whirl of “Jerk Chicken” and the closing of “Lionsteeth” which veers towards folk shores.

The Church Of The Very Bright Lights demonstrate that they have what it takes to make great music, but these 25 minutes are too vague a draft to be appreciated in the right way.

PS: the band has made the album available for download at this link