Bishop Allen - Lights Out

Kein Bischof in der Band und auch kein Allen. Mit ihrem Bandnamen wollen uns Justin Rice (Gesang, Gitarre, Synthesizer) und Christian Rudder (Gitarre) nicht auf einen Irrweg führen, sondern auf die Straße verweisen, in der sie nach dem Besuch der Universität gemeinsam wohnten: Bishop Allen Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Die Band besteht im Kern aus dem Duo Rice und Rudder, wird aktuell aber von Michael Tapper (Schlagzeug, Synthesizer, Gesang), Darbie Nowatka (Gesang) und einigen anderen ergänzt. "Lights Out" ist das vierte Album von Bishop Allen in 11 Jahren und das erste seit 5 Jahren. In der Zwischenzeit wurde geschauspielert, Soundtracks komponiert und eine populäre Dating-Seite entworfen. Im letzten Jahr traf man sich wieder, um an "Lights Out" zu arbeiten, und passend dazu lautet der Titel der ersten Single "Start Again": 

Bishop Allen - "Start Again" (Official Video) von scdistribution

Dem "Lights Out" müsste Ilja Richter eigentlich "Spot an!" folgen lassen, denn Bishop Allen versammeln in 43 Minuten 12 Indiepop-Songs, die meistens "catchy"  ("Why I Had To Go", "Black Hole", Hammer And Nail") und immer "uplifting" sind, sowohl Synthesizern ("Bread Crumbs") also auch Gitarren ("Give It Back", "No Conditions") ihren Platz einräumen und mit abwechslungsreichem Girl/Boy-Gesang bestechen. Freunde von Stars und The Hidden Cameras könnten Spaß an "Lights Out" haben. Leider kann das Album das Niveau der ersten Hälfte nicht halten und so hätte ich zum Beispiel auf das an ein Beck-Outtake erinnernde "Skeleton Key" gerne verzichtet.   

Bishop Allen - "Why I Had To Go" (Official Video) von scdistribution

But Lights Out, Bishop Allen's uncharacteristically long-awaited new album, presents the band in impeccable form: Simultaneously sophisticated and playful, its 12 songs sound both easy and fussed-over, as if Bishop Allen had been recording four tracks a month all this time, only to select and fine-tune the very best for this record.

From the first moments of the zippy, album-opening single "Start Again," Lights Out feels stacked with ringers. But some of its best moments are tucked into the deep cuts: The two songs that hand lead-vocal duties over to Darbie Nowatka, especially "Black Hole," suggest that Bishop Allen could spin off a Camera Obscura-esque sister project to tremendous effect. Summery but subtle, Lights Out is the sound of a band that's mastered the art of quality control, just in time to release an album that's all highlights.
(NPR)

The words ‘infectious’ and ‘catchy’ certainly apply to it. Overall, this does create a rather generically uplifting tune, but uplifting all the same. There’s a distinct contrast between synthetic and organic sound throughout, although nothing really manages to stand out as a prominent feature. Even the vocals blend themselves with the floating hum that the track becomes as its elements intertwine and move.

This gentle motion will certainly make it the track that people put on in the background at barbecues. There is no denying that it will serve the purpose well but some may feel uncomfortable with the fact that this seems to be as far as the duties of the whole album might reach.

There’s no doubt that many people will still want to have what is sure to be very a listenable album as part of their collection but Lights Out still has the potential to be an eyebrow-raisingly simplistic effort after three preceding full-length albums and a ten-year career from Bishop Allen.
(HU Now)