Clocking in at about 45 minutes and rarely taking a moment to breathe throughout, Spilling Over Every Side is a fitting name for this EP, the second of three that Pretty Lights plan to release in 2010. There are elements in all the songs on Spilling Over Every Side that might appeal to listeners of all sorts. Fans of electronica, hip-hop, and even jam bands ought to give Spilling Over Every Side a shot. The former genre is the most obvious one to attribute to Pretty Lights since the band is, first and foremost, an electronic group. Their style is reminiscent of The Glitch Mob, another band that's been coming on very strong this year. Neither band plays especially aggressive music, but both know how to play consistently catchy and energetic beats that don't let up throughout long tracks. Simply put, if you liked The Glitch Mob's newest album Drink the Sea, chances are you'll like Spilling Over Every Side as well.
In addition to the obvious electronic facets of Pretty Lights' sound, fans of both instrumental and traditional hip-hop artists might find other elements to enjoy in Spilling Over Every Side. There are excellent vocal samples in the more downtempo "Let the World Hurry By" and "A Million Tomorrows" that ought to please fans of independent producers like Blockhead, and the production elsewhere on the album might appeal to fans of Kanye West. Sounds weird, but think of it this way: Remember how people thought Kanye might have gone full-on electro after releasing “Stronger” and then 808s and Heartbreak? Obviously it was just a phase, but assuming he went through with that transformation, he'd probably be producing songs that sound like "High School Art Class" or "Forever Lost." The latter's huge beats scream hip-hop and the synth in both isn’t far off from those found in "Stronger."
Jam band fan? Pretty Lights have you covered there too. For those with some familiarity with the genre, it's hard to listen to Spilling Over Every Side and not think of the band Lotus. Both Lotus and Pretty Lights create lengthy songs that ride the same tempo for large chunks of time. The consistently unchanging tempo and volume of each individual track (though the songs do have different tempos and volumes from each other) probably serve the band well in a live setting; it's easy to imagine Pretty Lights as an act many festival attendees would enjoy at crunchier, jam-friendly music festivals like Camp Bisco, Bonnaroo, or Outside Lands. That the band has played those and nearly every other major US festival in their short career is testament to how fun their music must be live. But in the privacy of one's own home, the lack of tempo changes and dynamics in each song might leave a little something to be desired.
Track List:
1. High School Art Class
2. Hot Like Dimes
3. Let the World Hurry By
4. Look Both Ways
5. forever Lost
6. A Million Tomorrows
