The SoftLightes - Heart Made of Sound EP

Those whose souls rage and churn on a daily basis might be well served to give a group like The SoftLightes a listen.

Ron Fountenberry's previous incarnation was in the quasi-solo form of The Incredible Moses Leroy, whose last album in 2003, Become the Soft.Lightes (put two and two together) was a velvety smooth indie pop exercise filled with breezy, electronica-informed hooks and simple wisdoms. It was a very centered, confident album, one done with the aplomb and savvy of a man beyond Fountenberry's years. His high, vulnerable tenor fit the tender melodies like a glove, not far removed from that of a Ben Gibbard under the guise of The Postal Service. Postal Service comparisons are fairly accurate, save Fountenberry's stronger penchant for melody and minus Jimmy Tamborello's sporadically harsh choice of beats.

His first full-band operation, The SoftLightes, expands the proceedings to a quartet, but keeps the formula more or less intact. The Heart Made of Sound EP drops as a precursor to their full-length debut, currently set to be released in early 2007, and it serves as a tantalizing taster for the completed record.

Fountenberry stokes The SoftLightes' sound on a foundation of acoustic guitars, circular beats, softly swaying synthesizer lines and a dollop of warm harmonies, a concoction that would flutter out of an open window like a butterfly even if it was turned up to eleven. It's the sort of indie pop that begs to be consumed in the dark of night after a long day. The title track and "GirlKillsBear" are gentle, simple ruminations on love and relationships, and "Noah and the Electric Cholos" spins a yarn from the perspective of someone cooped up on the Ark surrounded by mockingbirds, ever-so-slightly perturbed by the constant rain and nursing a nagging doubt about the whole situation, only to admit he's still scared of spiders.

As with "Noah," it's all whimsical and borderline childlike in its simplicity, but it never oversteps it's bounds. It's still sophisticated without being unnecessarily busy. It remains genuine and sounds familiar even on first listen. Those whose souls rage and churn on a daily basis might be well served to give a group like The SoftLightes a listen. Revolution and change need not always be ushered in by those with rapid-fire rhythms and distortion pedals. Ron Fountenberry sounds comfortable with that concept.

(Modular Recordings)