Album Review: Bishop Allen - Lights Out

Lights Out is a good-sounding record – in the sense it’s well-polished and has obviously been carefully produced. Each track abides by the synth-heavy, summer-sounding indie-pop formula for success. And yet, it’s instantly forgettable. With five years between albums you’d expect Lights Out to be a culmination of the creativity that’s been swelling behind the wall of Bishop Allen’s hiatus. But it plays more like a fast-tracked “follow-up record”. In their earlier LPs Bishop Allen’s evident personality and innate quirkiness made them relatable and interesting for listeners. Lights Out unfortunately is just plain impersonal.