Lightning Dust – Infinite Light
‘Black And Blues’
The Black Mountain stable is in full stud. Last year’s excellent outing, In The Future, fought its awesomely-stodgy pysch-rock corner well enough to fend off a deluge of campfire Americana. The Pink Mountaintops chill-outlet is going from strength to strength, culminating in this year’s Spiritualized-sized and alt-country-flecked psychedelic stride.
And now, along come Lightning Dust and their no-Stephen-McBean-to-be-seen return. Amber Webber’s quivering and emotive vocal is pitched between her from Arcade Fire and the trembles of him from Brakes, and it duly steals the show. Black Mountain full-timer Joshua Wells completes the happy split.
On Infinite Light, sure, there are splatters of gentle pysch to be found, as can be expected. The debut’s liberal organ returns more sparingly, but like Pink Mountaintops, it is the light Americana sheen which is most appealing. Last year’s surfeit of examples diluted the pool but gave the Mountaineers ideas. Dusting down a well-travelled template, Lightning Dust have learnt that an injection of pop, electric piano, ubiquitous strings and a nod to country blues can make all the difference.
Beneath ‘Wondering What Everyone Knows’ is a waltzing and muffled pop song, at the forefront of ‘The Times’ is the stolen soul of ‘Sympathy For The Devil’. The purposeful and dirge-like march of ‘The Dreamer’ cries with glassy-eyed dignity. Infinite, no, but strong enough to leave a lasting impression, yes, Lightning Dust reassure the listener with the slow-burning squelch and psychedelic sway of album closer, Take It Home’, that the future is still resolutely black.