Headlights are at the forefront of the resurgent scene happening in the twin cities of Champaign-Urbana. By exhibiting an uncanny ability to merge electronics with the barest of pop elements, Headlights carve a unique niche for themselves that falls nicely between My Bloody Valentine and The Postal Service. The Vinyl includes the bonus track "Pity City". CD EP released on Polyvinyl Records.
 
Delusions of Adequacy
This one starts quiet. Turn it up. Keep going, as that mechanized fuzz and hum starts up, because then the wash of layered guitar and lap steel hits, and it's loud and lush and so gorgeous. This is the introduction you gain to Headlights, perhaps my new favorite band.
Headlights features all the members of Absinthe Blind (Parasol Records) minus Adam Fein, who was that band's co-founder. After Absinthe Blind broke up, singer/guitarist Tristan Wraight toured with Maserati for a while, while the other Absinthe Blind members formed Orphans. When Wraight returned, they scrapped the Orphans moniker for Headlights and began recording this highly impressive debut as part of Polyvinyl's mailorder series.
The band is undeniably an indie-pop project, with plenty of catchy rhythms, a great mix of male and female vocals, and a nice use of keyboards. However, also mixed here are pedal steel, violin, glockenspiel, and electronics, with plenty of intricate studio work to give the songs a layered, lush quality that may evoke bands like Spiritualized.
The aforementioned opener, "Tokyo," features layered guitars and keyboard with some soft lap steel in the background and little doses of fuzz here and there. It's such a sweet song, I guarantee you'll fall in love instantly, and when the crunchy guitars come in with singer Tristan Wraight singing "another broken heart / another town you must take in stride," your affair with Headlights will be cemented. "If home is where the heart is / Then home is here," he sings, and it becomes obvious that "Tokyo" is really a love song, Lost in Translation style.
"Centuries" is a much more poppy and playful indie-pop song, with an upbeat rhythm and plenty of catchy keyboards. The repeated line "We'll all die someday" is belied by the bouncy nature of the song. By contrast, "Everybody Needs a Fence to Lean On" is quieter, sweeter, featuring the female vocals of Erin Fein and some lush atmospherics before picking up a la Death Cab for Cutie and actually rocking out on the chorus of "Everybody's got their enemies" with some crunchy, layered guitars. The final song, "It isn't Easy to Live that Well" reminds me of mid-90s bands like Lush or My Bloody Valentine, the vocals pure and perfect, the pace sweet, the mixing of keys and guitars so perfect.
I want to hear more immediately from this band. I demand Headlights record more to make me happy, because I have listened to these four indie-pop songs over and over again. This is a delightful, playful, and sweet tease, indie-pop songs that are so well written and well produced that I swoon instantly. So nice...
 
Blueprint Fanzine
Hach, schön! Die ersten Klänge der "The enemies"-EP laden gleich zum Zurücklehnen und Dahinschwelgen ein und machen wohl eher Freunde als Feinde. HEADLIGHTS kommen aus Illinois und haben mit Mi Amante eine passende Heimat gefunden, werden bei dem kleinen, smarten Label doch auch GREGOR SAMSA vertrieben. Mit denen lassen sich HEADLIGHTS auch am besten vergleichen, soll heißen: poppig-melodischer Postrock, wie auch bei GREGOR SAMSA durch ein männlich-weibliches Gesangsduett verfeinert und durch zarte Elektronik und eine opulente Orchestrierung unterlegt. Das Ergebnis driftet dabei zu keinem Zeitpunkt in Langeweile oder Belanglosigkeit ab, sondern besticht durch traumhafte Melodien – nicht nur am Gesang. Interessant und fast ein wenig ungewöhnlich ist das aufwendige Schlagzeugspiel, das man in dieser Sparte gewöhnlicherweise eher nicht findet, das sich aber dennoch problemlos in den Gesamtsound integriert. Auf der vorliegenden One-Side-LP gibt's im Gegensatz zur CD-Version mit "Pity city" übrigens noch einen Bonus Track. Man darf sich schon jetzt auf das erste Album freuen!
7.5/10
 
The Gap # 65
Die bisherige Bandhistorie liest sich wie das Drehbuch zu einer Seifenoper mit Musiksetting. Gründungsmitglieder steigen aus, die Band wird um- und wieder zurück benannt, eine Tour mit der selbst gebrannten Scheibe wird organisiert, bis endlich der erste Plattenvertrag ins Haus steht. Diese Angestrengtheit ist der Musik zum Glück nicht anzumerken. Die Band versprüht auf ihrer ersten EP wundervoll abgehobenen Pop mit klassischer Rock-Instrumentalisierung. Die Gesangsparts werden wahlweise von einer weiblichen oder männlichen Stimme übernommen, die sich aber beide dezent und gekonnt in der harmonischen Grundstimmung der Tracks zurechtfinden. Weiters werden da noch mit gegebener Sorgfalt elektronische Elemente in den Soundteppich mit eingeflochten und fertig ist sie, die erste EP. Da darf man dann auch durchaus gespannt sein aufs erste Album. (7/10) Stefan Pichler
 
Harp
It seems like you can't make so-called "cathartic" music anymore without a screeching vocalist, rip-roaring riffage and 20-foot-tall Marshall stacks. But then there's Headlights, a tri-cornered team of hopefuls spreading their message of hopefulness through a wash of vocal-driven plush-pop. The Champaign, Ill.-based group is just starting out, but its maiden EP--despite the ominous, inverted revolver on the cover--is as soft and comfy as your granddad's easy chair. Tristan Wraight and Erin Fein share singing duties--that's right, share, not battle for--and when they do, it sounds like oxygen bubbles rising to the surface of a placid lake. On "Tokyo," they craftily compare cities they've formerly played to exes they've formerly laid, while their existential musings of "You all die someday" and "Everybody's got their enemies" on subsequent songs are surprisingly comforting. The distortion pedal kicks on occasionally, but for the most part it's sweet, spongy stuff. Kurt Orzeck
 
OX Fanzine
Mit ihrer Mischung aus Catchiness und trotzdem spürbarer Melancholie liegt das Trio aus Champaign, IL bei mir genau richtig. Überhaupt passt hier alles sehr gut zusammen: Ob sie jetzt bei "Centuries" rocken oder bei "Everybody needs a fence to lean on" balladesk anfangen und dann in einen unwiederstehlichen Indiepoprocker umschwenken - das hat alles Klasse.
Und erinnert nicht unwesentlich an RAINER MARIA zu "Look Now Look Again"-Zeiten (man höre nur "It isn't easy to live that well"), zudem die HEADLIGHTS ebenfalls mit einem Sänger und einer Sängerin antreten. Bei gleichen Zutaten finden sie allerdings eine erstaunlich selbstständige Sprache, sind verträumt und mitreißend poppig zugleich und haben daher das ideale Label für sich gefunden. Warum nur soll man auf das Album so lange warten, wenn diese EP schon zuvor in Eigenregie veröffentlicht wurde? An der Musik kann es nicht liegen, absolut nicht.
8/10
 
Pop Matters
The EP is the perhaps the most maligned of release formats. Often used as a band's dumping ground for b-sides, covers or live tracks, the EP is usually an item resigned to diehard fans of the artist only. Champaign, Illinois' Headlights on the other hand, have reclaimed the format for their own. The Enemies is Headlights' four-song statement of intent -- and what a statement it is. The traditional indie rock line-up, is fleshed out with electronic flourishes, and a nice variety of backing instrumentation including pedal steel and violin. Falling somewhere between My Bloody Valentine and Rainer Maria, Headlights play black velvet curtained indie rock to shimmering perfection.
The band sets the tone for The Enemies on the stunning intro "Tokyo". The track opens with subdued electronic noise, before bursting wide open, with beautifully picked guitar and pedal steel (dexterously played by Bud Carroll) nicely complimenting each other. What resonated the most with this listener, were the small sonic details scattered throughout the song. Each line of the verse, with shared vocals by guitarist Tristan Wraight and keyboardist Erin Fein, comes to an almost full stop, with little shards of electronic glitch or guitar noise to fill the space, creating an undulating, but undeniable, momentum. However, it's the chorus, with its poetic lyrics ("Another broken heart/ Another town you must/ Take in stride") and the soaring lap steel as Wraight sings "stride" that will hook listeners.
"Centuries", finds Headlights switching gears and picking up the tempo with a more upbeat number that recalls Club 8. With its insistent keyboard line and dual vocals, the song is positively infectious. Again, small details like a surging synth line and additional percussion, make this a rewarding listen, and it's a small wonder that Wraight and Fein can make a line like "We'll all die someday" into a sing-along anthem.
The introduction of "Everybody Needs a Fence to Lean On" displays a Portishead influence, as Fein quietly sings accompanied by a minimal, but dour, keyboard line. This doesn't last too long however, as the song swings back the other way into another delicious pop number, led by a hook laden bass line. Again, it's an unlikely line ("Everybody has their enemies") that will stay in listeners' heads for the next few days. This another song in which Wraight and Fein share and trade off vocals, and in case it hasn't sunk in yet, their voices are Headlights' secret weapon.
The EP closes with "It Isn't Easy to Live That Well", a beautiful combination of chiming guitars, moody synths and Fein's undeniable vocals. This track is easily the synthesis of Headlights' sound. The group has an uncanny ability in shrouding dark emotions with nicely crafted pop hooks. Feeling bad has never sounded this good.
Some of the credit for this EP's success must be given to Adam Schmidt. Credited with recording and mixing the album, he provides a spacious and airy playground for the group. The drums are bold, the bass thick, the guitars light and airy with the keyboards gently woven throughout. But none of this would've succeeded without the songs.
Unfortunately The Enemies is available only through mail order, but it's more than worth the effort in tracking down. Hit up the Polyvinyl website, add this to your cart, and experience one of the most refreshing and assured indie rock debuts of 2004.
9/10
 
Sweet Jane Music
Schön, wenn einem so richtig nette Überraschungen ins Hause flattern. Und dann auch noch als schmuckes 12" Vinyl. Über Mi Amante erscheint bei uns diese in den Staaten auf Polyvinyl veröffentlichte Debüt-EP der Headlights. Eine Band die sich aus ehemaligen Mitgliedern der hier ebenfalls wenig bekannten Gruppen Adsinthe Blind und Maserati zusammensetzt. Die Damen und Herren verwöhnen das geneigte Indie-Herz mit fünf hervorragenden Songs. Leider ist das ganze viel zu schnell vorbei. Denn was hier an einem Feuerwerk wunderbarer Melodien, umwerfender Gitarrenriffs, Keyboards und butterweichem männlich/weiblichem Gesang abgebrannt wird, das weiss uneingeschränkt zu begeistern. Jedenfalls jene, denen Bands wie Jealous Sound, Hey Mercedes, The Forecast oder My Bloody Valentine einen wohligen Schauer über den Rücken jagen können. Musik, die ebenso unspektakulär wie großartig ist. Allein das Riff, das für nur 30 Sekunden im Stück "It Isn’t Easy To Live That Well" auftaucht, ist den Kauf der Scheibe wert. Gemixt hat diese Perlen Adam Schmitt, der auch Living Blue und Velvet Crush einen sanften und doch tighten Sound verpasst hat. Bis Herbst müssen wir uns leider noch gedulden, um zu erfahren, ob die hohen Erwartungen, die diese EP zu setzten weiss, auch auf Albumlänge erfüllt werden. Dann allerdings könnten die Headlights eine der besten Indiepopbands des Jahres werden.
5/6
 
Up Beet Music
If you have ever found yourself wishing that The Postal Service's expressions were more aligned with those of it's Death Cab roots, or that Nada Surf simply had some estrogen among its constituents, then look no further than The Headlights' Enemies EP. Lush and brilliantly textured, the band's EP offers up enough indie layers to raise the eyebrows of even the most devout Barsuk disciples while maintaining an airy jingle that would promise to make your parents tap a toe or two. Erin Fein is the undisputed star of the show, seductively and expertly presenting her tones in a delivery of equal parts Beth Orton and Imogen Heap. So skilled, though, is her execution that it dwarfs and mocks the less impressive complements of vocalist Tristan Wraight. From this extremely promising, yet ultimately lean release, The Headlights give a fair share of memorable musicianship and whet our appetites for future recordings.
 

Everybody Needs A Fence to Lean On
I am looking
Looking for something
Can't quite put my mind at ease.
 
Cos I need to see
See an opening
Take my arms in and bring
 
Bring it together
Make it warmer
All for me.
 
Lookin for the sun in England
Throw him a lifeline cos he's sinkin'
Cos everybody's got their enemies
And everybody needs a fence to lean on
Remember how the hospitals were vacant.
 
Everybody's got their enemies.
 
I am watchin'
Gaurding the moments
They are leaving like all of you.
 
You're lookin at nothin'
Walking through darkness
Today could be the same for me too.
 
Everybody's got their enemies