A Billion Little Lights Explained

A Billion Little Lights
Type:studio
Artist:Wild Pink
Border:yes
Length:41:19
Label:Royal Mountain
Producer:David Greenbaum
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Prev Year:2018

A Billion Little Lights is the third studio album by American indie rock band Wild Pink. It was released on February 19, 2021 under Royal Mountain Records.[1]

Release

On October 7, 2020, Wild Pink announced the release of their third studio album, along with the first single "The Shining But Tropical".[1] In a press release, the band's lead vocalist John Ross explained the single: "It was inspired by Carl Sagan’s Cosmos as well as "If I Needed You" by Townes Van Zandt, this song is named for a grim retirement home in Florida. It’s about somebody who was born sheltered realising how large the world is and how unimportant they are."[2]

The second single "You Can Have It Back" was released on November 20, 2020, which also features Ratboys' lead vocalist Julia Steiner.[3] Ross noted the single was the last song written for the album, explaining the single was inspired by Fleetwood Mac.[4]

The third single "Oversharers Anonymous" was released on January 14, 2021.[5] Of the single, John Ross said: "This is one of the first songs I wrote for A Billion Little Lights and was inspired, among many things, by Ken BurnsThe West and the book The Earth Is Weeping by Peter Cozzens. Also inspired by a drive on the Taconic Parkway. Recording everyone’s parts on the outro was one of my favorite parts of making this album."[6]

On February 16, 2021, Wild Pink released the fourth single "Pacific City".[7]

Critical reception

A Billion Little Lights was met with "generally favorable" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 71 based on 8 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the release 6.6 out of 10 based on a critical consensus of 7 reviews.

Writing for Beats Per Minute, John Amen wrote "Brimful of elegant melodies and John Ross’s euphonic vocals, the album’s 10 tracks also feature riveting instrumental undergirds – alternately minimal and lush, succinct and sprawling, earthy and psychedelic. Wild Pink’s third full length sees them at their most fluent, achieving a compositional and performative apex." Chris Gee of Exclaim! wrote "While A Billion Little Lights as a whole is not as elegantly cohesive as Wild Pink's past work, the starry-eyed melodies shine stronger and more confidently than ever. The band's dreamy sentimental detailing and lustrous guitar work is as easily digestible as it is thought-provoking as the layers peel back into both nothing and everything at once."

Personnel

Wild Pink

Additional personnel

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wild Pink Announces New Album with wide-eyed anthem 'The Shining But Tropical'. Beats Per Minute. H. Rob. October 7, 2020. February 24, 2021.
  2. Web site: Wild Pink announce third album with lead single "The Shining But Tropical". The Line of Best Fit. Kenneally. Cerys. October 7, 2020. February 24, 2021.
  3. Web site: Wild Pink Shrugs Off Lost Love on the Earworm 'You Can Have It Back'. Beats Per Minute. H. Rob. November 20, 2020. February 24, 2020.
  4. Web site: Wild Pink Share New Single Featuring Ratboys' Julia Steiner, "You Can Have It Back". Paste. Lane. Lexi. November 19, 2020. February 24, 2021.
  5. Web site: Wild Pink release new cut "Oversharers Anonymous". The Line of Best Fit. Kenneally. Cerys. January 14, 2021. February 24, 2021.
  6. Web site: Wild Pink - Oversharers Anonymous. Stereogum. Deville. Chris. January 14, 2021. February 24, 2021.
  7. Web site: Wild Pink share uplifting new single "Pacific City". The Line of Best Fit. Kenneally. Cerys. February 16, 2021. February 24, 2021.