Lightning (album)

Last updated
Lightning
Matt and Kim Lighnting.jpg
Studio album by
Matt & Kim
ReleasedOctober 2, 2012
RecordedJanuary 1–July 2012 (Brooklyn, New York)
Genre Indie pop, electronic
Length31:18
Label Fader Label, Universal
Producer Matt & Kim
Matt & Kim chronology
Sidewalks
(2010)		Lightning
(2012)		 New Glow
(2015)
Singles from Lightning
  1. "Let's Go"
    Released: June 25, 2012
  2. "Now"
    Released: September 4, 2012
  3. "It's Alright"
    Released: February 25, 2013

Lightning is the fourth studio album from the indie pop duo Matt & Kim, written, produced, performed and recorded by them in their New York apartment between January and July 2012, using Logic Pro. The ten-track set is an electronic indie pop album which member Matt Johnson described as being upbeat, while on some tracks being a little darker. The group decided "to do as little possible to the songs production-wise and still have them be strong" unlike their previous studio project Sidewalks .

Contents

Lightning was released on October 2, 2012, and was promoted with an autumn tour, a giveaway, and a 2013 remix album. Although Lightning sold well enough to reach number 50 on the Billboard 200 among a few other US Billboard charts, it was met with a varied critical reception, holding an aggregate score of 59 out of 100 from Metacritic as of March 2014. Some reviewers criticized the lack of introduction of any new type of music, unlike Sidewalks, while other's thought the album was an improvement from the previous album.

Production

Work on Lightning was done between January 1 and July 2012, [1] [2] in Matt and Kim's old apartment on Grand Street in Brooklyn, New York. [2] The album was written and recorded using the music production software Logic Pro. [3] The 10 tracks of Lightning were pared from 25 to 26 songs originally written for the album, which Matt Johnson said that "it gave us [Matt and Kim] a lot more to choose from, which let Kim and I really broaden this album out." [4] He said in an interview that the group "felt there was a lot going on in the songs" on their album Sidewalks . "In a way, the safest thing you can do with a song is to make it have a lot of stuff. The more you put on, the less the actual songwriting is exposed. For the new album [Lightning], I was excited to do as little possible to the songs production-wise and still have them be strong." [1] He also said that the album's recording location "was a nice farewell" to the apartment. [2]

Matt's vocals were recorded using a Brent Averill 1073, JDK R24 EQ, and a Shure SMB7 microphone. Vocal tracks were compressed three or four times, and filtering techniques with blankets and a sE Electronics Reflexion filter were used to cut out background noises of the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway. The drums were recorded at the studio Rubber Tracks, with Aaron Bastinelli engineering, while the synths were performed and programmed through a MIDI keyboard in Logic. Other assistance in making Lightning included Lar Stalfors mixing "Tonight". The tracks were summed using a Dangerous Music D-Box. [3]

Composition

Matt describe the songs from the album as "slightly…. Umm, I'm not going to say they're dark, but while everything has maintained an upbeat quality, there are some tracks that are a little darker that are related to just… I don't know it's weird. People tend to say, “The more success you have, the easier things will be,” and that's not always the case. Sometimes it's more like, “The more success you have the harder things become.”" [4]

"Let's Go" includes instrumentation of piano chords, synth bass, synth strings, and a hip-hop drum beat. The song's chorus is Matt shouting “Let's go let's go let's go let's go!” [5] Allmusic said that the song "cuts the tempo in favor of an almost funky late-'90s groove." [6] "Now" was described by Popmatters as a combination of "a style of music outside of the duo's usual comfort zone [ Dubstep ]" with the group's usual musical style. [5] "It's Alright" includes percussion of a kick drum and tambourine, [1] and was considered by Consequence of Sound as a dance-jazz song. [7] Matt said it was one of his favorite songs. [1] "Not That Bad" has instrumentation of martial drums, piano plinks, and a synth brass section. According to Popmatters, when the "synth brass section comes in and the tempo slows down for the chorus, it feels like something big is coming." [5] "Overexposed" is instrumentated with a quick-moving wobbly right-hand synth, keyboard, bass guitar, kickdrum and hi-hat. The song's Pre-Chorus is “Like a picture / I was overexposed / Be-lieve me / I saw you with my eyes closed,” and the vocals during the chorus are in unison with the keyboard. [5]

"I Said" includes elements of EDM, and a fuzzy bass that "dominate the song even more than his [Matt's] repetitive chorus of “I said I said I said it's real / I said I said I said take the wheel / But you said you said you said no deal.”" [5] The song was described by Allmusic as a "rubbery midtempo ballad that injects a smidgen of melancholy into the proceedings." [6] "Tonight" has an instrumentation of a disco bass, and the drumbeat and bass of the song "makes the song the most authentically danceable on the album," according to Popmatters. [5] "I Wonder" has a "chopped and screwed beat and dancing piano lines" that "is club pop for the PBR set," according to Paste Magazine. Lyrically, the song deals with getting older and "staying put". [8] "Much Too Late" is "a rant that seems to come out of nowhere and doesn't fit in with anything else on this record," as described by PopMatters. [5] "Ten Dollars I Found" is the last track of the album, and was described by Popmatters as the only real ballad from the album. [5]

Release and promotion

To promote the album, a tour ran from October 3 until November 17, 2012. [9] Matt and Kim also began giving away signed full length vinyl copies of their self-titled debut album, signed copies of Lightning, T-shirts, signed rare 7″ records, signed handwritten lyrics, and two tickets for a concert of the Lightning Tour. [10] A remix album was released on October 1, 2013, and was first announced on August 27. [11]

Since at least 2017, "It's Alright" has appeared on TV ads for Buick in the United States. [12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 59/100 [13]
Review scores
SourceRating
The A.V. Club C [14]
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Alternative Press Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Consequence of Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [15]
Paste 7/10 [8]
Pitchfork Media 5.1/10 [16]
PunknewsStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [17]
PopMatters 6/10 [5]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [18]

Lightning was met with mixed reviews from music critics. Metacritic reports a "mixed to average" aggregate score of 59 out of 100 based on 13 critical reviews. [13] Some reviews felt the album didn't introduce any new type of music from the group, unlike the group's previous album Sidewalks , while other reviews thought the album was an improvement from Sidewalks.

Pitchfork Media wrote that "the sound of maximalist Top 40 pop, and apply a low-budget, DIY aesthetic to it," was "barely expounded upon on Lightning," and called it, "In the context of Matt & Kim's discography," "inconsequential. Like an echo of an echo, there's nothing here that Matt & Kim haven't already done over and over again." [16] The A.V. Club said that, "In getting back to basics... the record leaves out the memorable hooks that make the whole formula work." [14] Exclaim! called the album a step-up from Sidewalks, but was "bogged down by the redundancy of Johnson's elementary songwriting," [19] and Under the Radar found it "annoyingly upbeat." [20] The Alternative Press was more negative on the album, writing that most of the songs "beg for remixes, guest vocalists or anything to give them more depth." [21]

On the more positive side, Entertainment Weekly gave Lightning a B+ grade, saying that "Songs with shotglass-half-full titles like "It's Alright" and "Not That Bad" build to fist-pump choruses, but there's just enough attitude to counter that rah-rah spirit." [15] Paste Magazine said the album, "after a few listens, is actually pretty good if you forgive the total banality of its content. Which, by the way, is a good way to describe the album as a whole." [8] Both Consequence of Sound and Popmatters had opinions that the group's sound of their future albums could improve from Lightning. [5] [7] Allmusic said that the record was "no kind of departure, but the slight variations in sound and the slightly expanded emotional palette mean that it's an improvement over the last record [Sidewalks] or two [Sidewalks and Grand]." [6] Magnet Magazine said the album had the "tried-and-true formula that has worked so well for them." [22] Punknews found to album to be "pop pleasure, with nothing to feel guilty about." [17]

In 2012, Complex listed the album #43 on their "50 most anticipated albums for the rest of 2012," writing that "Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino won't be running around Times Square in the nude this time, but the indie pop act is still set to impress." [23]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Let's Go"3:30
2."Now"4:05
3."It's Alright"3:23
4."Not That Bad"3:17
5."Overexposed"2:46
6."I Said"4:14
7."Tonight"3:06
8."I Wonder"2:50
9."Much Too Late"2:12
10."Ten Dollars I Found"1:55

Chart positions

Chart (2012)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [24] 50
US Independent Albums ( Billboard ) [24] 10
US Top Rock Albums ( Billboard ) [24] 21

Related Research Articles

<i>Ultramega OK</i> 1988 studio album by Soundgarden

Ultramega OK is the debut studio album by American rock band Soundgarden, released on October 31, 1988, by SST Records. Following the release of the EPs Screaming Life (1987) and Fopp (1988), both for the Sub Pop record label, Soundgarden signed with SST and went to work on their debut full-length. The resulting album contained elements of heavy metal, psychedelic rock, and hardcore punk. The band supported the album with a tour of the United States, as well as its first overseas tour.

<i>Supernature</i> (Goldfrapp album) 2005 studio album by Goldfrapp

Supernature is the third studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 17 August 2005 by Mute Records. The album received generally favourable reviews, with most critics complimenting its blend of pop and electronic music. It debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 52,976 copies, and has been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Supernature has sold one million copies worldwide.

<i>Screaming Life</i> 1987 EP by Soundgarden

Screaming Life is the debut EP by American rock band Soundgarden, released in October 1987 by Sub Pop. Screaming Life was later combined with the band's next EP, Fopp (1988), and released as the Screaming Life/Fopp compilation album in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt and Kim</span> American music duo

Matt and Kim are an American indie electronic duo from Brooklyn, New York City. The group formed in 2004 and consist of Matt Johnson (vocals/keyboards) and Kim Schifino (drums). The duo is known for its upbeat dance music and energetic live shows which often incorporate samples from other artists. Although they started their career playing shows in lofts and other close-quarters venues, they have since performed at numerous festivals, including Bonnaroo, Coachella, and Firefly Music Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let It Happen</span> 2015 single by Tame Impala

"Let It Happen" is a song by the Australian rock artist Tame Impala. It was released as the lead single from their third studio album, Currents (2015), on 10 March 2015. The song centers on accepting personal transition, and was worked on in various locations around the world. The song runs at nearly eight minutes long, and its second half contains a section of the song repeating akin to a scratched Compact Disc, and stripped-down lyrics consisting of gibberish. It also has vocoded-like vocals in the second half, which were actually manipulated with a keyboard sampler.

<i>Grand</i> (Matt and Kim album) 2009 studio album by Matt & Kim

Grand is the second album release from the band Matt & Kim, recorded entirely in the Vermont home where Matt grew up. It was released on January 20, 2009, on Fader. The album was named after Grand Street where the duo live.

<i>Battlefield</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Jordin Sparks

Battlefield is the second studio album by American singer Jordin Sparks, first released on July 17, 2009 through Jive Records and 19 Recordings. The album debuted at number 7 in the United States, number 11 in the UK, number 34 in Australia and top 20 in many territories.

<i>Night Is the New Day</i> 2009 studio album by Katatonia

Night Is the New Day is the eighth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Katatonia. It was released 2 November 2009, in Europe and 10 November 2009, in North America through Peaceville Records. Thirteen tracks were recorded, eleven of which made it onto the record. The band describes the material as "Our most varied, diverse and possibly strongest shit all together on one and the same album". "Idle Blood" had the working title "Kozelek", named after Mark Kozelek, a member of Red House Painters, which is one of Katatonia's influences. This is the last Katatonia release with the Norrman brothers.

<i>Raditude</i> 2009 studio album by Weezer

Raditude is the seventh studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on October 30, 2009 and is their final album on DGC Records, Geffen Records and Interscope Records. The title of the album was suggested to Weezer vocalist Rivers Cuomo by actor Rainn Wilson.

<i>Broken Frames</i> 2010 studio album by Eyes Set to Kill

Broken Frames is the third studio album by American rock band Eyes Set to Kill. The album was released on June 8, 2010 by Break Silence Records. The album consists of 12 songs and DVD of their interviews and music videos from Reach to Deadly Weapons. It is the only album to feature unclean vocalist Justin Denson, who only remained in the band throughout the duration of 2010 before departing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remember December</span> 2010 single by Demi Lovato

"Remember December" is a song by American singer Demi Lovato for her second studio album, Here We Go Again. It was written by John Fields, Lovato and Anne Preven, and produced by Fields. The song was released in Europe as the album's second and final single on January 18, 2010 through Hollywood Records. "Remember December" adapts power pop and synth-pop genres and diverges from Lovato's usual pop rock sound. The lyrics describe the speaker's attempt to remind her boyfriend of the good times of their relationship. Lovato described the song's sound as an example of what she wanted her future music to sound like.

<i>Sidewalks</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Matt & Kim

Sidewalks is the third studio album by American duo Matt & Kim, consisting of keyboardist and vocalist Matt Johnson and drummer Kim Schifino. It follows their previous studio album Grand (2009), which the usage of its songs in commercials and TV series and the music video for "Lessons Learned" gained the duo popularity. Sidewalks continues Matt & Kim's basic and high-energy dance-punk synthpop style, but with a higher-fidelity sound courtesy of being recorded in professional studios instead of being self-recorded as was the case with their prior albums. Sidewalks was produced by Ben H. Allen and Oliver Straus.

<i>Come Home</i> (Luminate album) 2011 studio album by Luminate

Come Home is the first studio album by the contemporary Christian music band Luminate, and was released by the label Sparrow Records on January 25, 2011. The album was nominated for the Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year at the 43rd GMA Dove Awards.

<i>The Lion the Beast the Beat</i> 2012 studio album by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

The Lion The Beast The Beat is the fourth studio album by American rock band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, released on June 12, 2012. The album debuted at 17 on Billboard's Top 200 Album chart, selling 24,000 units in its opening week. The album has sold 159,000 copies in the US as of June 2015.

"Come on a Cone" is a song by American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj, taken from her sophomore studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). Minaj, Garibay and Hit-Boy wrote it and Fernando Garibay & Hit-Boy produced it. Musically, it is a hardcore hip hop song that uses electronic beats. Lyrically, the song is rumored to be another diss song to Lil' Kim, following "Roman's Revenge" and "Stupid Hoe". "Come on a Cone" received mainly positive reviews from contemporary critics, while others criticized the chorus, calling it the main problem of the song.

<i>True</i> (EP) 2012 EP by Solange

True is the first extended play (EP) by American recording artist Solange, first released on November 27, 2012 digitally through Terrible Records. Following the release of her second studio album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams (2008), Solange announced that she had parted ways with Interscope Geffen A&M after releasing just one album on the label, and further revealed that she had chosen to go an independent route, eventually signing with Terrible Records. In 2009, Solange began the recording of a studio album, during which she suffered a "breakdown" due to the amount of time and emotion she was putting into the recording process.

<i>Afar</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Ice Choir

Afar is the debut studio album of Ice Choir, the project of former The Pains of Being Pure at Heart drummer and The Depreciation Guild lead Kurt Feldman. It was released on July 31, 2012, by Underwater Peoples. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, with positive reviews highlighting Feldman's use of the 1980s influences and more varied responses criticizing the cheesiness.

<i>New Glow</i> 2015 studio album by Matt and Kim

New Glow is the fifth studio album by American duo Matt and Kim, consisting of singer and keyboardist Matt Johnson and drummer Kim Schifino. Following the self-recorded Lightning (2012), New Glow features production and engineering contributions from Jesse Shatkin, Andrew Dawson, and Lars Stalfors, who produced the duo's self-titled debut. It is a dance-pop record that contains more cues from mainstream styles than previous releases, and is lyrically about Johnson and Schifino's relationship. Released by Harvest Records on April 7, 2015, it reached the top 40 of the American Billboard 200 chart and the top five on the Top Rock Albums and Independent Albums charts. Critical reviews were mixed. Although certain journalists enjoyed New Glow as a fun album, it was generally considered their weakest release due to its move towards a mainstream polished sound and drying-out of a simple formula.

<i>Sometime Last Night</i> 2015 studio album by R5

Sometime Last Night is the second and final studio album by American pop rock band R5. It was released on July 10, 2015 by Hollywood Records. The album was announced alongside a tour, which began in June 2015 and ended in December 2016. Five singles were released from the album—"Smile", "Let's Not Be Alone Tonight", "All Night", "I Know You Got Away" and "Dark Side", while "F.E.E.L.G.O.O.D" was released as a promotional single. Sometime Last Night debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200, with 31,000 copies sold during its first week, making it the band’s first top ten album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)</span> 2020 single by the 1975

"If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" is a song by English band the 1975 from their fourth studio album, Notes on a Conditional Form (2020). The song was released on 23 April 2020 through Dirty Hit and Polydor Records as the sixth single from the album. It was written by band members Matty Healy, George Daniel, Adam Hann and Ross MacDonald. Production of the song was handled by Daniel and Healy alongside Jonathan Gilmore. FKA Twigs provides operatic background vocals on the song's ambient new-age introduction, Rashawn Ross performs the trumpet and flugelhorn in the choruses, and Bob Reynolds performs the tenor and alto saxophone solo in the bridge. Videos of the band performing the song were widely circulated on social media several months prior to its official release, quickly becoming a fan-favourite, and resulting in a high degree of anticipation among their fanbase.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Marchese, David (July 25, 2012). Matt and Kim Explain How They Struck 'Lightning'. SPIN . Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Schifino, Kim (October 2, 2012). LIGHTNING - OUT TODAY. mattandkimmusic.com. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Weiss, David (October 1, 2012). Matt & Kim: Underwear Recording, and other Home Studio Scandals. SonicScoop. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Roffman, Phillip (October 3, 2012). Interview: Matt Johnson (of Matt and Kim). Consequence of Sound. Accessed from July 10, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Conaton, Chris (2012-10-03). "Matt & Kim: Lightning". PopMatters . Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Sendra, Tim. "Lightning - Matt & Kim". Allmusic . Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  7. 1 2 3 Coplan, Chris (2012-10-02). "Album Review: Matt and Kim - Lightning". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  8. 1 2 3 Baer, Drake (2012-10-02). "Matt & Kim: Lightning". Paste Magazine . Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  9. ↑ LIGHTNING TOUR. mattandkimmusic.com. July 30, 2012. Accessed from July 11, 2013.
  10. ↑ Ten Days of Giveaway. mattandkimmusic.com. September 18, 2012. Accessed from July 11, 2013.
  11. ↑ Lightning Remixes – Album Teaser. mattandkimmusic.com. August 27, 2013. Accessed from September 5, 2013.
  12. ↑ "2017 Buick Enclave Premium TV Spot, 'Instruments' Song by Matt and Kim [T2]". iSpot.tv. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  13. 1 2 3 "Lightning Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  14. 1 2 Mincher, Chris (2012-10-02). "Matt and Kim: Lightning". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  15. 1 2 Maerz, Melissa (2012-10-01). "Lightning - review". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  16. 1 2 Hyden, Steve (2012-10-25). "Matt & Kim: Lightning". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  17. 1 2 "Matt and Kim - Lightning". Punknews.org. October 9, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  18. ↑ Catucci, Nick (2012-10-02). "Lightning review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  19. ↑ Lau, Melody (October 3, 2012). Matt & Kim - Lightning. Exclaim!. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  20. ↑ Under the Radar. October/November 2012 issue. p. 129.
  21. ↑ Alternative Press. November 2012 issue. p. 92. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  22. ↑ Magnet. October 10, 2012. No. 92. p. 56. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  23. ↑ The 50 Most Anticipated Albums For the Rest of 2012. Complex. September 24, 2012. Accessed from July 10, 2013.
  24. 1 2 3 Lightning - Matt and Kim : Awards. Allmusic. Accessed from July 10, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.