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While Light of X seldom soars, it certainly cruises at a pleasant altitude.
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Richards often errs on the side of wispy and ephemeral on her new album, Light of X, but albums can do worse things than wash over you like a hillside sunset.
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It’s a stretch to call anything timeless, and singer-songwriters aren’t about to go out of style any time soon. At the very least, it’s another 12 songs just waiting to be plucked for the montage scenes of next season’s prime-time dramedies.
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Yet while thousands of tons of this dross are produced on a yearly basis, Richards's work stands safely above most, drawing on offbeat influences such as Mazzy Star and compositions that, despite sounding borderline soulless, are for the most part coldly dazzling.
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Years later, however, the well-networked songwriter appears to have finally found her own voice with Light of X.
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Delivered in a pure, unblemished voice, even the sad songs are comforting, occasionally to a fault.
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Unfortunately, Richards doesn't play to her strengths often enough. Too much of Light of X slips out of straightforward and into simple.
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Under The RadarThe album is full of airy beauty and precious melodies sung in an angelic voice. However, there is not enough here to counter its delicate nature. [Year End 2008, p.83]
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Q MagazineThe sunny, country-ish melodies of opener 'Beathless' and 'Savorin' Your Smile' aren't quite matched by her limited voice, but when some darkness descends, as on 'Pictures Of You,' her perky nature adds a bittersweet twist to the added emotional weight. [mar 2009, p.104]
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MojoIf anything, she's dreamer, the tempo's a little more down, the mood more twilit. [May 2009, p.101]