A6 by Lights review: we are so back
The Canadian synth-pop queen is back with her 6th album, and nostalgia has never sounded better.
If you’re anything like me — a music-obsessed former Tumblr kid — you might not have heard the name Lights since the time when The Listening and Siberia had your entire life in a chokehold. Now, nearly 15 years later, I am pleased to announce that the effect of A6, her latest release, is no different.
Why exactly Lights fell off my radar for so long, I have no idea. Not only has she been active this entire time, but she explored a plethora of genres as her career progressed — from her signature ethereal synth-pop style to alt-rock and electropop. As the name bluntly points out, A6 is the singer’s sixth LP release, and it felt perfectly familiar from the very first song.
Damage, also the first single released for the album, is masterfully mixed. As Lights’ vocals seamlessly blend into her signature soft bass, drums and synths, she opens the track with “I’m headed down a rabbit hole / Does anybody want anything?”, playfully inviting her listeners down into the dreamy, rhythmic and introspective world of A6.
The album, like Lights, is multiple things at once. The Canadian artist is a singer, songwriter, producer, comic book artist, DJ — the list goes on. Drawing from her multitude of experiences, A6 explores the singer’s life like a photo album, capturing all sorts of fleeting, yet memorable moments in art form.
Inspired by the sounds and sights of Berlin, Lights pairs 80’s-inspired synths, new-wave and dance elements with her vulnerable and raw lyricism. This combination truly shines in Surface Tension, a nostalgia-infused alt-pop track. Both in English and German, the song explores themes of chaos and confusion, with the sudden switch in languages coming as a pleasant surprise. The two tongues are similar enough to allow a non-German speaker to only partially understand the lyrics, mirroring the singer’s struggle as she yearns to understand herself.
The bass-heavy Clingy also stands out amongst the album’s 13 tracks — a laid-back yet groovy anthem on the duality of feeling both insecure and confident in a relationship. While the verses are light and spacious, the chorus is minimalistic and ever so slightly grungy, cleverly reinforcing the contrasting feelings explored in the track’s lyrics.
This album was the perfect project to respark my love for Lights, because at its core it is a love letter to her early work. All the years of experimentation in her lengthy career have allowed her to fully master her craft, and now her signature style sounds better than it ever has.
Don’t just take my word for it; take hers.
As the singer references February Air, her 2008 sophomore single, in White Paper Palm Trees, she declares: “Call back to February Air / Hand it to myself, I’m better / Better than ever now, I swear.”
And she is right.
✨ Listen to A6 here:
This album is amazing!! Have lover her work and grower with it since “The Listening” came out.
If you missed “Pep” be sure to check it out, absolutely incredible!