Federal Lights Deliver A Rock Record That Thinks Differently
- BuzzSlayers
- 24 minutes ago
- 7 min read
The latest album released from Federal Lights delivers a soirée of rock undertones that are portrayed with acoustic, clean, and electric guitars and all of the songs have this kind of personal air to them.
The personality factor comes strongly from the lyrical content and how a lot of the songs articulate feelings and emotion by telling stories from a personal perspective. I definitely dig how open the record is lyrically because it can be borderline vulnerable, but it's always honest, and that makes you feel like it comes from an authentic place.
This is a big release. It's a 10-track record, but the songs make it feel bigger.
To me, personally, some of these feel like they're inspired by certain elements of 90s rock, which I really enjoy because, along with some of the heavier aspects of the record, you get plenty of tonal warmth, which is something that invites you in so that you listen to the stories a little more deeply and can connect with certain them.
The record is called Celebration of Failure, and it kicks off with the track called "Say Anything", which brings a lot of attention to the pianos and some strings that sort of flow through the ether of the track, giving it a cinematic backbone.
This all works amazingly for the sentiment of the song as well the emotion that it pushes.
This is an absolutely perfect example of exactly what I've been talking about. This song displays that emotion loud and clear, gives you the softer, warmer, more welcoming side of the songwriting the record boasts, and serves as an amazing introduction to the album itself.
The song builds from there, bringing in clean and electric guitars, but one of my favorite aspects about the song as a whole, aside from those lyrics and the way that they are performed, is the drumming.
The drumming is outstanding and really brings in a unique time signature that you don't really expect. Once that kicks in, the song takes a different shape.
This is an amazing showcase of how this band is able to build songs. The instrumentation grows in such a unique fashion, and this is definitely something that becomes a bit of a staple of the record as a whole.
Another great example of how the percussion element of this record pushes things and breaks boundaries a little bit is a song called "Safest place To Be", which is a gorgeous piece of work with acoustic guitar riffs that are outside the box as well.
I'm not saying it's math-rock-influenced, per se, but it's definitely progressive, and a bit intricate when it comes to the songwriting.
I definitely liked how this record branches out into different elements of rock music, and does so in a seamless fashion.
This song becomes very warm as well later on with all kinds of vocal layers that come into play, singing octaves of the same melodies both low and high, giving a thickness and sort of robust vocal aesthetic.
"Night Movers" is one of the tracks that displays more of that straight-up '90s rock feel.
The riffs, guitar tones, progressions, and how it's all performed really beckoned a certain era of radio-friendly rock music.
The guitar work across this entire record is absolutely outstanding. Not only can it be intricate and progressive, but it also can deliver catchy melodies and awesome changes that have a familiarity to them, but are performed in a bit of a refreshing manner.
There are elements about songs like this one that show a hint of Southern undertone as well. Some of the guitar tone has a bit of twang, but at times, the vocals do as well.
The vocals on this one also have some layers to them, but the sort of swagger or attitude that they deliver is awesome and makes you think of hints of Americana or even country at times.
The whole thing is a very cinematically driven rock record.
There's almost always a kind of vastness in the undertones of songs, giving the record depth and layers, which help really create beautiful atmospheres and moods that go along with the lyrics.
This is also something I found to be quite addictive about the full release. A lot of the songs tell stories, and the instrumentation and performances vocally really do help create these massive moves that line up with those stories.
Now, this is most certainly a record that boasts some amazing surprises, and one of those, in my opinion, is the closing track, "Out To Sea", which is a gorgeous piece of work that serves as a closer to the record.
This last track is a short one, and I love how you get that sense of peace at the end of it all.
The album is really something a little different and should be heard in its entirety, in my opinion.
It's really the best way to go. Listening to the record from start to finish, in one shot, gives you the full spectrum of what it has to offer.
Even though some of the singles I mentioned stand out very well on their own, it's much better in full.
After listening to the record myself, I wanted to have a chat with the band so we could talk about the record and how it came to be.
While you swim through this album, have a read through of our interview with Federal Lights below.
Remember where you heard it first.
Where did this album come from and what is it about to you?
This album came out of a musical meltdown that I incurred after the album cycle for our 2nd record Coeur de Lion. I was in a place where I felt completely defeated with music and the industry. The record hadn't performed as we had hoped and I took it really personally. I had felt like we hadn't taken enough time with that record and that I had lost control of the whole process, not because of anyone taking it from me but because I hadn't stepped up to ensure its end result. I blamed myself for its failure and at that time it felt like something I couldn't recover from so I imploded the band and deleted as much of our online presence as I could. It took me years to get over that and a lot of persistence from the rest of the band to try again. But I am so thankful they did push me because we were able to write this record which deals with a lot of those feelings and that particular time in my life.
How did all of this start for you guys as a band?
We all grew up in the same music scene in Winnipeg playing in different bands and after all of those bands went away we found each other and had the same desire to keep writing and playing and just seemed like a really natural next step for all of us.
You have already performed at some big festivals! Are you planning on a tour in support of the release?
Yeah we have been really lucky to play some of those festivals you mention and we definitely want to return to the road and tour this record so we are working towards tour dates as we speak.
Do you find that performing live is more fun than recording a new record?
Oh man, those are two totally different beasts. I think I love them both equally for different reasons. Obviously with the live shows there is that connection with the audience that is one of the greatest indescribable highs there is on this planet. And then with recording, you get to create and in that creative process you get to be whoever you want to be and really make whatever you want to make. The exploration process that you experience when writing and recording is so personally rewarding. You get to take all the chances you want and make all the mistakes you want and sometimes those mistakes turn out to be the best thing.
Can you guys tell us some of your biggest musical influences?
For me, I would have to say it started with U2's Under a Blood Red Sky. My Dad introduced me to that record when I was very young and the moment I heard it I was hooked on music for life. Since then it has gone everywhere from Radiohead to Sufjan Stevens and of course fellow Winnipegger John K Samson and the Weakerthans. John's writing has had a massive impact on my life, I'd argue Canada's greatest songwriter.
Do you write songs together, or is there one person who comes to the rest with big ideas?
There is no set standard with us. In the early days I wrote the majority but with this new record Celebration of Failure everyone brought songs to the table and everyone helped form them. It was an absolute collaborative effort.
Did you record this with a producer, or was it all you?
We self-produced this time around. I'm not sure with the way that we wrote and recorded this one we could've allowed anyone else into that process. It felt like it was something we needed to do on our own this time.
Now that this is out there, what's next for you guys?
Touring and then the next record.
What would you say people can expect from this record?
A slow burn. You have to sit with this record and take it all in. It is by far our most introspective and moody record we have made and I think that is because of where this record came from. I think the idea of failure as a necessity for progress is a relatable idea to people these days and I hope that the listener will come along for that ride.
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