Illinois indie pop rock trio Headlights hit sweet notes on their second album, "Some Racing, Some Stopping"- with delightful results.
The History
The 1960s are back. At least in the little corner of the music world known as indie pop they are.
Starting with last year’s best album (at least according to Pitchfork Media) – Panda Bear’s Person Pitch – it has been hard to escape the sunny day melodies, the massive bass lines, and everything else that made 1960s pop so edible.
The Headlights
Which is why you’ve heard the Headlights before. At least that’s what it seems like. The syrupy guy-girl harmonies, the utter disdain for the minor key, the sweetness that permeates every nook and cranny – they all remind you of something you’ve heard before. It’s shameless pop. But on Some Racing, Some Stopping, the Illinois trio manage to rehash the three minute pop song (again!) in a unique way.
In short, it’s a very good album.
Their first full-length, Kill Them With Kindness, carried with it the easy comparisons to other bi-gendered-vocals acts like Stars and Mates of State. If you’re in the business of making addicting pop harmonies, this is not a bad thing. In fact it’s rather wonderful.
Racing will do little to dispel those comparisons, and that is also rather wonderful. The first single, “Cherry Tulips” lives up to its dainty title with “Ooo-ooohs” intermingling with bells and an unashamedly sweet narrative about a street lined with tulips. If a more instantly addicting tune comes out this year, the Beach Boys have reunited. In which case, the 60s really have returned.
The Hiccups
From here the album has little place to go but down -- and that's okay when it began at such mountainous heights. Driving guitars propel the album forward the rest of the way. Not in the rocking 80s-metal sense, exactly, but they are always there in the right places, not allowing the album to dip into sappiness.
The few spots where the guitars do fall out (on the lethargic “Some Racing, Some Stopping” and “So Much for the Afternoon”), the album suffers for it. These sluggish spots don’t mar the album as a whole, though. It recovers nicely with a couple of upbeat acoustic bangers to finish, but it never quite reaches the rosy range of “Cherry Tulips” again.
Some Racing, Some Stopping is nothing revolutionary, but it’s certainly addicting. It won’t change your life, but it will certainly change your mood for a while. Roll those windows down, let the warm Spring air blow the chills from your hands, and enjoy.
