For All the Innocence
For All the Innocence sends LITE's restless guitar music in a different direction. Electronics become a much stronger presence, while the rhythms more often maintain a clear danceable movement. The band become approachable without becoming simple. Much of the activity moves from sudden interruptions into layers of sounds working around and through each other.
Red Horse In Blue makes a strong case for the change. Guitars and electronic parts form a forceful, propulsive movement together. The melody remains clear enough to hold the many sounds in place. The track shows how much room this approach allows for both rhythm and atmosphere.
The album also feels unusually bright and positive. The bass stays mobile and the instruments react precisely to each other, but the music feels less closed than a collection of complex parts. LITE use their abilities to bring different styles together. Synthesizers and vocal harmonies belong as naturally as the guitars do. The appeal goes beyond admiring the playing.
Small returning ideas help give the record a shape. A guitar melody from Pelican Watched As the Sun Sank appears in another form in the slower closing track, Mute Whale. That creates a connection beyond a shared sound. A familiar detail has a different effect when placed in a new setting.
The shift has a cost. The drumming has less room to lead the music independently, and not every busy arrangement stays equally clear. Even so, this is a convincing expansion. Firm playing, melodic lines and electronics create an album that remains curious without losing its rhythmic appeal. LITE find enough possibilities here to justify the new direction.
