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Lights Action

All Eyes To The Morning Sun EP

Written by: TL on 13/11/2008 00:37:50

Lights Action is yet another band that has been rumbling around the UK underground for a while, supporting better known bands live here and there and kicking up a bit of dust with their first single release "Satellites". While we're waiting for their debut album to come out on February 16th next year, those of us interested can treat ourselves to their "All Eyes To The Morning Sun EP" as an appetizer.

Newcomers to this band should quickly recognise their rather typical branch of energetic and dramatic rock. Common British influences such as Biffy Clyro and Funeral For A Friend can easily be heard in their expression, but their style - mysterious, sincere and seemingly floating in the sky - to me at least aligns them more with the much missed The Receiving End Of Sirens, even if Lights Action aren't at all on their level this early in their career. The wave of indie/disco/punk that's sweeping through their home country, represented in bands like for instance The Automatic, hasn't been wasted on them either, as can be heard easily in their new singles "Aurora" and "Story Of A Broken Boy", the former of which I prefer to the slightly forced chorus of the later. In any case, the defining trait of Lights Action seems to be that they've dropped the usual quirky indie attitude of most of the Brit-rock bands and gone all out for the full on emotional rock songs.

However, here on this EP, that difference isn't lined out clearly enough, and while you definitely sense it, it's still hard to shake the feeling that you've heard at least 5 other bands from the UK that sound pretty much the same, and it's hard to get overly exited for the release in itself when none of the new songs really live up to "Satellites". That is except for the cover of Imogen Heap's "Hide And Seek", which, despite singer Patrick Currier's strained struggle to perform as proficiently as the original artist, ends in such a soaring climax that its presence is warranted.

Overall, the EP is good for what it is, but you're not falling on your ass for the band yet. I recommend getting it for the singles and the cover, as the only other real song "Ghosts" isn't that much to write home about. As for the outro "All Eyes", its more simplistic and almost country-ish feel makes me hope that the upcoming "Welcome To The New Cold World" album will feature Lights Action doing a bit more to carve a personality for themselves amidst the sea of Brit-rock clones.

Download: Satellites, Aurora, Hide And Seek
For The Fans Of: The Receiving End Of Sirens, Biffy Clyro, Funeral For A Friend
Listen: myspace.com/lightsactionband

Release Date 14.04.2008
Cold Signals / Pinnacle Records