New EP from LGHTNNG offers 15 minutes of radio-designed electropop gems.

 

We are no strangers to LGHTNNG, the Netherlands-based electropop trio that has a track record of dropping hypnotic electropop songs and equally captivating music videos. The band have always been a less abrasive alternative to CHVRCHES, and their latest EP, Getting Ready, sees the band take that to a new level.

One of the band’s biggest strengths on the latest EP is that they nail the tempo of the retro-tinged electropop sound they’re going for. While it might be easy to follow in the footsteps of larger electropopstars and opt for an uptempo and relentless rhythm, LGHTNNG consistently excel at delivering steady beats that lumber along rather than rushing. To that extent, the band capture a perfect balance between enjoyably uplifting and perfectly relaxing. But do not confuse this with this being a boring release.

While opening number Run is a relatively slow-burning way to ease into the album, second track Hold On To Letting Go is arguably one of LGHTNNG’s most interesting and captivating pieces to date. It moves forwards at a steady midtempo, but is composed very similarly to something from CHVRCHES’ second album – it makes expert use of bubbling, jittery synths and vocal samples. It tops this combination off with a well-executed chorus that is both infectiously memorable and easy to mindlessly enjoy.

It is this knack for writing a catchy and effective chorus that makes LGHTNNG so different to many of their peers. In an oversaturated music scene, the best way to stand out is to be exemplary. LGHTNNG manage just that, with choruses that capture the heart and instrumental melodies that ensnare the ears. While they have been good at this for a long time, it is only on this EP that they seem to be developing that talent into something unrivaled in the electropop genre.

With any luck, it won’t be long until LGHTNNG grace us with an unstoppable album. As this EP shows, the band are certainly capable of dropping one of electropop’s definitive albums when they are ready. It may even be that the band have that in the pipeline and are just teasing us: dropping an EP called Getting Ready (for the album) and closing it with one of their strongest songs, the 1975-esque track entitled The Wait. In any case, only time will tell.