Headlights describes its sound as "Indie Pop with a Shoegazey aftertaste" on MySpace.com.
And since the Internet never lies, especially MySpace, there's no reason to argue with Headlights' claim.
The band rightfully takes on the role of an indie band since it isn't on a major record label and principally sings about depressing moments in life.
For example, the first song on "The Enemies EP" entitled "Tokyo" has the desolately whimsical chorus: "Another broken heart/Another town you must/Take in stride." What the band is saying here is all the towns look the same when you constantly have a broken heart — very indie.
Headlights also exposes indie tendencies with poppy catches, but not catchy enough that fans would bop their heads around in a pleasant manner. Which brings me to the second part of Headlights' MySpace statement — the bit about shoegazing.
Fans can't shoegaze — the indie-ist verb and musical genre out there — if they're jiving their hip hairstyles in a happy upward fashion. But to actually contemplate the disheartened lyrics of Headlights, one must stare at their shoes — preferably Converse Chuck Taylor Classic All Stars.
"The Enemies EP" is the band's first and only release to date, although a full length is set to be released soon.
The Champaign, Ill.-based group is a hybrid of other indie rock bands — Absinthe Blind and Maserati.
A somber tone looms over the EP and is defined by clanging guitar parts, sulky synth resonance and delicate vocals building into persuading choruses.
Keyboardist Erin Fein and guitarist Tristan Wraight share the vocal duty, interweaving lyrics like yarn in a handmade sweater knitted by your grandma. Fein provides the dainty pink strings while Wraight stitches with raspy brown thread.
The woven vocals work the best on the third track, "Everybody Needs a Fence to Lean On." Fein opens the song with soft and sort of whiny lines melding into a catchy, linear guitar part with Wraight kicking it next with his rough vocal tones.
The rest of the track is a landscape of soft melodic parts sloping into thorny choruses of "Everybody has their enemies." Who would have guessed that everyone needs a fence to lean on and has enemies?
Well, probably most folks, but Headlights drives the point home in a textbook poppy indie rock tune.
Headlights shows potential but has no original aspects. The band seems more concerned with fitting into the hipster indie rock scene, rather than trying to create a new voice.
But this is only the group's debut release with merely four songs, so like a fine wine let's hope Headlights becomes more flavorful with upcoming outputs.
