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Hotel Lights

Hotel Lights

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Album Review

Centered around the singer/songwriter talent of former Ben Folds Five drummer Darren Jessee, indie rock quartet Hotel Lights mixes amiably wistful AM-style pop and indie-pop on their eponymous debut. Having garnered some writing credits while with Ben Folds Five, it's no surprise that Jessee displays a knack for writing mellow and heartfelt songs that make the most of a catchy melody. Tracks such as "Miles Behind Me" and "I Am a Train," with their mix of acoustic guitars, synthesizers, and various electronic and eclectic instruments bring to mind the Shins and Grandaddy as contemporary touchstones, while the country-tinged "Stumblin' Home Winter Blues" is pure '60s folk à la Bob Dylan. This a low-key but nonetheless impressive first effort.

Customer Reviews

A promising debut from Darren Jessee and Co.

Congratulations! If you’re reading this, then you’ve managed to stumble upon a wonderful band known as “Hotel Lights,” a project headed by Darren Jessee, the former drummer of Ben Folds Five. Though this album clearly falls under the category of modern indie rock, this self-titled debut does enough things differently that it manages to stand on its own as a fine, unique record. Even if you’ve never heard of Hotel Lights before, you probably have heard some of Darren Jessee’s work. He wrote the chorus to the hit Ben Folds Five song “Brick”, the chorus to the Ben Folds tune “Wandering” and also contributed the song “Magic” to the last Ben Folds Five album. So, you know the guy has the ability to write catchy, heartfelt songs. Jessee’s voice isn’t as smooth as some of the more popular indie artists out there (see: Sufjan Stevens, Death Cab, and Joshua Radin among others), but this serves as an advantage, as the songs stand out more and sound less like your run-of-the-mill indie “chill-out music.” His voice complements the music perfectly: his wavering delivery on songs like “You Come And I Go” “The Mumbling Years” and “Small Town S**t” helps heighten the emotional impact delivered by the songs, and overall, gives the album a more sincere feel. Lyrically, the tunes Jessee pens aren’t as cryptic as those by other artists like The Shins. The situations and meanings of the songs are pretty recognizable after a couple listens (and sometimes sooner). That being said, these songs aren’t as direct as, say, the work of the Eels (who perfectly employ simplicity to evoke deeper meaning). Jessee manages to create a perfect balance between the two, maximizing both the meaning of, and empathy derived from, the songs, which, coupled with Jessee’s vocals, and simple heartfelt melodies that glide on top of richly-layered backgrounds, manages to create a sound that is unique, yet familiar enough that it blossoms upon first listen, immediately drawing the listener in. As Jessee himself states, regarding the album “…when you see hotel lights in the distance you feel like 'yeah, I'm almost there', but when you stand in the bathroom and turn on the hotel lights, they are fluorescent and you see every scar.” This fantastic debut album will find you your scars, and, by the time you’re done listening, will have healed them too.

Summer Morning Drive

I can't help reaching for this album when I've got a summer morning drive ahead of me. There's just the right mix of emotions coming through this music, and somehow it seems to put everything into perspective. I still prefer this over firecracker people.

Biography

Formed: 2000 in Chapel Hill, NC

Genre: Rock

Years Active: '00s, '10s

Essentially the solo vehicle for former Ben Folds Five drummer Darren Jessee, the mellow indie pop group Hotel Lights formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 2000 after Ben Folds Five disbanded. Switching from drums to guitar, piano, and vocals, Jessee hooked up with guitarist/producer Alan Weatherhead, guitarist/keyboardist Chris Badger, bassist Roger Gupton, and drummer Mark Price for the band's eponymous debut album released on Bar/None Records in 2006. By 2007, Gupton and Price had been replaced...
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