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Light Upon the Lake
by
Light Upon the Lake Image
Metascore
83

Universal acclaim - based on 18 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 48 Ratings

  • Summary: The debut full-length release from the band that includes Smith Westerns' Max Kakacek and Julien Ehrlich as well as Will Miller, Malcolm Brown, Print Chouteau, Josiah Marshall and Charles Glanders was produced by Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado.
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Top Track

Golden Days
Oh, don't you save me from hanging on I tell myself what we had is gone And after all that I put you through I get knocked out like I never knew It... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Clash Music
    Jun 6, 2016
    90
    In its relentless fixation upon youth Light Upon The Lake seems to have stumbled across the timeless.
  2. The 405
    Jun 2, 2016
    85
    A better summertime album will be hard to find this year. You can expect to see Whitney's name on a lot of year-end lists and deservedly so.
  3. Consequence
    Jun 3, 2016
    83
    Their dulcet, vintage tones intoxicate and overwhelm the senses, while the cutting lyrics set the table for a thoroughly emotional listening experience.
  4. New Musical Express (NME)
    Jun 2, 2016
    80
    Bass, horns, strings, organ and choir provide the backbone, and when Whitney allow themselves to kick it up a gear and really let rip, as on ‘Golden Days’ (with its cathartic “Na na na” outro) or the George Harrison-meets-The Band magnificence of ‘Dave’s Song’, they’re untouchable.
  5. DIY Magazine
    Jun 3, 2016
    80
    The record’s finest moments relate to everyone’s lives, in one way or another. Whether it’s golden youth or present day regrets, there’s something to cling onto.
  6. The Guardian
    Jun 2, 2016
    80
    Those with a low tolerance for winsome male falsettos may wish to steer clear, but anyone who loves the strain of American pop that began when the Byrds started branching out in 1966 and 1967 should rush to hear this delightful confection.
  7. Record Collector
    Jun 20, 2016
    60
    It’s all very pretty and pleasant, but whereas Smith Westerns burned with the emotions of their songs, Whitney seem rather more detached from theirs. Which, as easy-going as these 10 songs are, renders them more as temporary, unconvincing background music. It’s nice for a while, but their effects soon give way to the winds of truth and reality.

See all 18 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. tludsy
    Jun 7, 2016
    9
    This has easily been one of the most, if not the most, approachable album of the year thus far. As mentioned in other reviews, JulienThis has easily been one of the most, if not the most, approachable album of the year thus far. As mentioned in other reviews, Julien Ehrlich's falsetto can be a bit of a turn-off for some, but once you get over the initial unease (which for me, dissipated once Max Kakacek's guitar came in and filled out the melody in the opening track), you come to realize that every song is very well-realized, with a warmth provided by the strings, brass section, and piano. The lyricism won't break any boundaries, but it's still considerably solid and relatable, and the songs don't sacrifice verses to repeat their choruses, which seems to be the case more and more often. Light Upon the Lake has been the only album that motivated me to instantly re-listen to it once I initially finished the first play-through. Whitney has created something spectacular, and I believe this album will be a gem from this decade, revisited and cherished by many for a long time to come.… Expand
  2. All_ButTrU4
    Nov 27, 2021
    7
    The record’s finest moments relate to everyone’s lives, in one way or another. Whether it’s golden youth or present day regrets, there’sThe record’s finest moments relate to everyone’s lives, in one way or another. Whether it’s golden youth or present day regrets, there’s something to cling onto… Expand

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57
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