Lights has always existed in a space between gentle indie-pop and dancier electronic music, with her later albums growing more confident in the array of influences displayed. With her sixth album, the aptly and simply titled ‘A6’, the Canadian songwriter doesn’t so much push herself in new directions as she does bring everything full circle, combining her various eras under one umbrella.
Much of 'A6' feels reflective, as though Lights is casting her mind back over a 15 plus year career with all the attendant highs and lows. It’s also very much a gift to long-time fans who’ve been there for most or all of that journey, with Easter Eggs aplenty dotted throughout.
Take It Easy’s shimmering synth-pop and layered vocal tracks immediately recall ‘Little Machines’, for example, while there’s also the ‘Siberia’-echoing Day Two at the end of the album.
White Paper Palm Trees goes all the way to square one in echoing her self-titled debut EP with the line “call back to February Air” and a vocal performance that slots into the higher register that characterised her early work.
The lead single, Damage, pairs vulnerable lyrics with midwest emo and an indie edge that’s taken further by Alive Again’s propulsive guitars and drums. Surface Tension, meanwhile, switches gears to moody darkwave.
‘A6’ is an introspective album, preferring chilled out beats to the rockier textures of 2022’s ‘Pep’. The upshot of that is that there are no huge standouts like Running With the Boys or Where the Fence Is Low, but equally there are no outliers. This might be Lights’ most cohesive, consistent album yet, its reference points almost entirely her own. It might not scale the same heights as some of her previous albums, but as a love letter to herself and fans it hits all the right notes.
Lights Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu May 08 2025 - VICTORIA British Columbia - Capital Ballroom (formerly Sugar Nightclub) (Canada)
Fri May 09 2025 - VANCOUVER British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom (Canada)
Sat May 10 2025 - KELOWNA British Columbia - Revelry (Canada)
Wed May 14 2025 - PORTLAND Oregon - Wonder Ballroom (USA)
Thu May 15 2025 - SEATTLE Washington - Neumos (USA)
Sat May 17 2025 - SAN FRANCISCO California - Bimbo's 365 Club (USA)
Tue May 20 2025 - LOS ANGELES California - Roxy (USA)
Wed May 21 2025 - PHOENIX Arizona - Crescent Ballroom (USA)
Fri May 23 2025 - SALT LAKE CITY Utah - Soundwell (USA)
Sat May 24 2025 - DENVER Colorado - Meow Wolf Denver Convergence Station (USA)
Wed May 28 2025 - NASHVILLE Tennessee - Basement East (USA)
Sat May 31 2025 - DURHAM North Carolina - Motorco Music Hall (USA)
Sun June 01 2025 - WASHINGTON District of Columbia - Atlantis (USA)
Wed June 04 2025 - PHILADELPHIA Pennsylvania - World Cafe Live-Philadelphia (USA)
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