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Lights Out Image
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 30 Ratings

  • Summary: The sixth studio solo release for the singer-songwriter features guest appearances from A Great Big World, Trent Dabbs, Greg Laswell, Mat Kearney, and Storyman.
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  • Record Label: Mom + Pop Music
  • Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Apr 17, 2014
    80
    There are certainly a few noticeable misses (such as the overwrought ‘Ready to Lose’), but the occasional home runs are more than enough to offset those moments.
  2. Apr 17, 2014
    80
    You might expect a schizoid clusterbomb from Lights Out, but instead it’s an impressively seamless mix.
  3. Apr 17, 2014
    80
    Lights Out features a broadened sonic palette and a much more robust vocal performance; it's a transformation she's been perfecting since 2009's Everybody and 2012's Human Again.
  4. Lights Out is a more-than-satisfactory entry in the singer's solid discography, and easily one of the best pop albums of the year so far.
  5. Jun 25, 2014
    50
    From a critical standpoint, Lights Out is long on songs and contributing credits but falls short of measurable artistic growth.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Apr 20, 2014
    10
    This album is absolutely amazing. It's probably one of her best albums yet. Stand out songs to me include Time Machine, One Night Town, &This album is absolutely amazing. It's probably one of her best albums yet. Stand out songs to me include Time Machine, One Night Town, & Stick. You should totally buy this album. Expand
  2. May 28, 2014
    9
    Ingrid made an almost-perfect album. Ingrid's lovely songwriting shines, but the stylistic shifts in each album make Lights Out quite anIngrid made an almost-perfect album. Ingrid's lovely songwriting shines, but the stylistic shifts in each album make Lights Out quite an interesting ride. The best song on here, to me anyway, is Wonderful Unknown that immediately brings The Beatles to my mind. It's a song with beautiful lyrics and production so chilling. Ingrid also flirts with some very modern dance-pop on One Night Town. The track is extremely catchy and the song could make it into a club. A very low-key type of club. Who would have ever thought Mat Kearney would make a dance-pop song? Girls Chase Boys is a very Sara Bareilles-type track that Ingrid pulls off beautifully. Home, a more folksy opener, contains beautiful and catchy vocals. You Got Me, a pretty wild track, shifts through possibly three genres in 3 minutes. Warpath and Time Machine are both bluesy rock tracks that are full-on "stompers." The most somber, but some of the most beautiful, moments occur on the second half of Lights Out. Open Hands, Ready To Lose, and Over You achieve a type of greatness in spite of their simplicity. The closer, Everyone Is Gonna Love Me Now, perfectly ends things with powerful lyricism and strong production, while Ingrid's vocals provide an even more sad atmosphere. My only complaint would have to be Handsome Hands, which feels out of place and sounds more like a Florence + The Machine b-side. Although, Ingrid's head voice is able to shine throughout the whole song. In all, Lights Out offers something for everybody. It's a wild card of an album and it's extremely surprising and pleasant to hear Ingrid pull it off with such wit. Good job, Ingrid.
    HIGHLIGHTS: Wonderful Unknown, Girls Chase Boys, One Night Town, Open Hands, Over You
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  3. Jul 11, 2014
    5
    Sabe qual o pior defeito de um álbum? Ser chato. Mesmo com várias qualidades, se um álbum passa a vibe de ser chato, por qualquer razão, oSabe qual o pior defeito de um álbum? Ser chato. Mesmo com várias qualidades, se um álbum passa a vibe de ser chato, por qualquer razão, o resultado final fica aquém do que poderia ser. Esse é o caso do álbum Lights Out da cantora norte americana Ingrid Michaelson.

    Conhecida mais pelo fato de várias de suas canções ao longo dos anos serem utilizadas em seriados como, por exemplo, Grey's Anatomy e The Vampire Diaries, Ingrid lançou recentemente o seu sexto álbum. Lights Out é um bom álbum de indie pop, mas que não tem a força suficiente para adentrar no mainstream e também não é desbravador e original para criar sua própria sonoridade. Faixas começam e terminam sem mostrarem para o que vieram em um desfile de pop indie com folk e rock. Sem personalidade nenhuma em trabalhos bem redondinhos, Ingrid Michaelson peca em não se impor mais forte e traçar limites delimitados em suas músicas que não chegam no lugar que deveriam estar, mas que também não pecam por serem trabalhos mal produzidos. Além disso, as construções, na maioria das faixas, são trabalhos arrastados e chatinhos que não fazem a gente se conectar com a canção. Ingrid Michaelson também é compositora e entrega aqui letras inteligentes, mas "higiênicas" demais. Infelizmente, a compositora não se deixa mostrar de uma maneira mais natural. Tudo parece extremamente pensando para soar "alternativo" e distante. Às vezes é necessário ser mais emocional que esquecer a razão. Nem tudo é sem graça em Lights Out, pois há dois momentos bastante interessantes: a simpática Warpath e Time Machine que tem pitadas de rock soul. Infelizmente, esses momentos não salvam Lights Out de ser um ótimo sonífero bem feito.
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