Review: 3 Singles by Where's the Lighter
Hold up in Pegasus House, in the heart of east London, watching the world unfold through a continual creative haze. The band began to assimilate fragments of inspiration into a vibrant melting pot of sonic reverberation. Where's the Lighter was born out of a shared love of classic prog but with an injection of the new sounds of modern psychedelia, the 3 piece bridge the gap between psychedelic obscurity and progressive absurdity. We've reviewed their current three singles "Land of Despair," "Land of Despair Reimagined," and "Ripple." Click here to give them a listen on your favorite platform. Follow Where's the Lighter on Instagram: @wheresthelighterband Click here to visit their EPK.
Land of Despair Land of Despair was released on the 18th of October 2020. The song begins with a groovy bass which is then accompanied by some percussions and an overdriven guitar. The song attracts the listener with the energetic intro. Then, suddenly the energetic intro gives its place to vibrating bass and delayed guitars to create a dreamy atmosphere where the first verse takes place. "Picture for my eyes, What are you tryna hide Past the painted lies There are no more blue skies" A lot of bass chords are the main element that shines in the verse. After the verse, the listener is led to a guitar-driven obscure interlude. At the 2 minutes 53-second mark, the chorus enters with heavily reverbed vocals. These vocals give the listener a creepy feeling which fits in with the theme of the song. After the chorus, a dissonant and fast-paced guitar solo enters to keep up the song's high energy. Near the end, the energy level peaks. The drums go wild with the cymbals, the guitars shred, and the bass grooves hard. All of this comes breaking apart in the last seconds with a breakdown to leave a taste of the song in the listener's mind. Land of Despair achieves a lot of different sounds with just a 3-piece band. Perhaps the song may benefit from more slow parts like the first verse to contrast the high energy parts that dominate the rest of the track. The slow parts would also help highlight the lyrics and the vocals more which are somewhat lost in the last parts. However, overall, the song successfully combines psychedelic sounds with heavy and obscure rock riffs to produce a land of despair in the listener's imagination.
Land of Despair Reimagined
Land of Despair Reimagined was released on the 16th of January 2021 and it is a fresh single out of the oven. Just as it is new to the market, it also has a taste of youth with its energy. From the very start, the sound is metallic and energetic and it almost has a garage rock vibe. It is very real and almost angsty. The bass lines are prominent, providing a backbone to the song. Especially at the start when it offers a beat that reminds the listener of a technicolor TV show opening. It is intriguing, as we stated before it feels new. The distorted guitar that joins soon after is also complimentary to the bass and works wonderfully together. So do the almost chaotic drums. This makes us think of Where's the Lighter's other single which is "Land of Despair". In this way, "Land of Despair Reimagined" can be seen as a revision of "Land of Despair" and with its much heavier sound, it provides something more upbeat, lively, and chaotic to the listener. We also have to note that in both songs the vocals are reminding us of Joy Division's Ian Curtis. With the vocals, the song almost has a new wave edge to it. Furthermore, "Land of Despair Reimagined" proves itself to be a new possible alt-rock anthem with its "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" feel in it. Overall, we highly recommend you to check both singles out.
Ripple
Ripple was released between the two versions of Land of Despair. It is the first track to feature the new guitarist, Tom. The song starts with the guitar intro and continues with the accompaniment of drums. The catchy guitar riff starts just before the lyrics enter. The drum accompaniment is original and fits the melody pretty well, showing that the drums are really a part of the song. The dynamism and the consistent patterns of the drums continue throughout the song, making the listener immerse into the tempo of the song. Vocals are mixed such that the song gives the '80s and '90s prog vibe. However, the vocal volume is a little bit low compared to the drums. Another important element in the harmonic vocal in the chorus, which is a great choice to strengthen the psychedelic side of the song. Listen Ripple to