BROOKLYN, NY – The ‘80s are alive and well within the debut EP “SLEEP/OVER” from Brooklyn-based duo Lady Lightning, complete with slinky synths, slick pop riffs and languid lyrics tracing patterns of relationships, love, and life.
In the vein of other ‘80s-tinged current pop-alt outfits like Neon Trees and The 1975, Lady Lightning keep the tone upbeat and tech-driven while discussing more robust themes like burgeoning love, self-discovery and more. Album opener “Heaven” creates an ethereal vibe with echoing background vocals and hollow percussion accenting religiously-charged lyrics about discovering oneself through a lover.
Duo Grace Carli and Tony Bush complement each other well with Carli’s more flowery inflection and Bush’s harder, gravelly tenor. The Brooklyn area couple emphasizes their “nostalgic” vibes, likening their sound to a megamix of “Debbie Harry, Kenny Loggins, and Michael Jackson.” (This listener would like to add that there are traces of synth-pop acts like Thompson Twins or Human League, along with more alt-based acts like Depeche Mode.)
There’s a playful mysteriousness to the EP, another sign of that signature ‘80s style highlighted by haunting riffs and vocal runs. On “Hero,” the two trade lines back and forth about being “the hero I was waiting for,” while “Blame” plucks along like a whodunit unfolding, the tension building with each verse until the chorus crescendoes.
The back half of the six-track EP slows down a bit with the sweetly synthy “Lucky Love,” fading into the brasher “Blow” and closing with the almost punk-y, anthemic “Enough,” complete with gang vocals during the chorus.
As a whole, “SLEEP/OVER” is a soundtrack fit for its title moniker – it’s bedroom pop with an upbeat flair, something you can blast with your buddies or play during a more private tete-a-tete. Either way, it’s a fun and funky debut that shows promise for two music veterans looking to branch into today’s scene with both nostalgia and nowness.
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