The Future-Psych-Retro-Pop of Grace Lightman

D Joseph Lilly
Aug 29, 2017 · 2 min read
Image ripped from Twitter without permission

Grace Lightman has produced some absolutely incredible music, and she doesn’t even have an LP. The London-based artist was previously associated with The Hypnotic Eye, a band buried beneath Google results for the 1960s movie of the same name. However, the group does have a Facebook page, which seems to have been silent since 2015.

Lightman, however, has been keeping busy. In 2016, she released two singles, one with a b-side. That’s only three songs, but they each make an impact. There’s an immaculate way in which the melodies and instruments of the 1980s are woven into the ultra-modern musical landscape that serves as a backdrop for Lightman’s broad, ethereal vocals. Even with just those three songs, there’s a diversity something akin to the legendary Brit artist Kate Bush. They range from the sentimental and unusual “White China (Raging Bull)” to the delicate and cannot-possibly-be-played-loud-enough “Faultless” and to the charismatic and haunting “Repair Repair.”

More came this past July, when Lightman released another two-track single, Fangs / Halloween Is Over. The first track immediately features more drum crashes than much of her previous work, but the result is only an enhancement of the otherwise enchanting and ghastly production. The b-side is lighter, thoughtful, and is like a touching ballad of yesteryear mixed with a driving synth bass and some wispy effects over top the high piano. It ends quite abruptly — hopefully a sign that there is still more to come.

It’s always nice when music is produced as a true work of art, and not just developed as something to scream at hordes of people for a few hundred thousand bucks.

Recently Played

A collection and discussion of noteworthy, valuable music.

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D Joseph Lilly

Written by

freelance writer / style form and substance

Recently Played

A collection and discussion of noteworthy, valuable music.

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