Light Years’ sophomore release provides more of the same, not that that’s a bad thing. ‘I’ll See You When I See You’ continues in the vein of their debut, except this time around the four-piece from Kent, Ohio provide a more mature, more focused record.
Right from the opening octaves of ‘Are You Sure’, Light Years show what they’re about and if you’ve ever listened to a pop punk record before, you’ll know what to expect. This record is full of catchy choruses, gang shouts, overlapping vocals, half-time endings – it has got it all. The opening riff on ‘Rearview’ is energetic and exciting and it’s easy to picture a group of kids in XL tee shirts and backwards caps going off to this. ‘Living In Hell’ changes it up slightly, slowing down and adopting a darker tone and this is followed up with the plodding ‘Accidents’ which holds the most interesting verses on the record. Those muted chords add something slightly different and catches your attention just as it might be starting to drift.
Some of this record is overbearingly cheesy. ‘The Summer She Broke My Heart’ goes exactly how the title suggests it would and the lyrics are too much. Saying that, though, the bass line is punchy and tight and this song will resonate with the teenagers who are going to go nuts over this record. Also, plaudits must be given to drummer Kent Sliney for his work on ‘I Can’t Relate’, the verse is so extravagant and technical without ever seeming overplayed or unnecessary. Unfortunately, though, this experimentation and creativity doesn’t really exist elsewhere in the record. This is the problem: Light Years definitely won’t alienate any existing fans with this record, but there’s not enough here to entice any new ones.
This record won’t change your mind if you’re sceptical about the current breed of pop-punk bands like this, but it’s a solid effort. The production is tight, (obviously – it’s Will Yip, the dude is untouchable), it’s a professional effort and will go down super well with their fans. Every chorus is so catchy, it has every pop-punk cliché that you can ask for and Light Years are all competent musicians. There is nothing wrong at all with this record, but that’s part of the problem. There’s just nothing that stands out, nothing that engages your emotions, either positively or negatively. It’s just another pop-punk record. But, hey, if that’s what you’re after, then check this album out. You’ll love it.
CONOR MACKIE