Album: See It All
Label: None
Rating: 2.5/5
There is something to be said about a debut album that contains 17 tracks and lasts over 66 minutes. Unfortunately, everything that can be said is not always positive.
Now, there is no denying that White Lightning’s See It All is ambitious in its pursuits. It attempts a lot, and not surprisingly, frantically struggles to hold on. Though talented in their own right, the band’s overambitious plans deter from what may have become a great record
The album bizarrely commences with odd trance-like chamber music, and then awkwardly transitions into a Datarock influenced track entitled “Satisfaction”. From here, the album incorporates sounds ranging from pop and punk to alt rock and simple piano medleys, and then finally concludes with a bouncy remixed version of “Satisfaction”. Though the last song is interesting and one of the few tracks that is quite enjoyable, it does seem largely out of place.
See it All also seems to suffer from a lack of memorable songs. Save for “Satisfaction” and “Hold On”, the album’s track list comes off as highly forgettable. And even the times when the album begins to come alive musically, it is usually for all the wrong reasons. The song “City Lights” instantly ignites thoughts of 311 rather than an original White Lightning tune.
Overall, the largest problem just seems to be a lack of identity found on the album. There is no real clear-cut way to define this band (and that may seem like a positive attribute to have), but not on your debut record. You want to embrace the listener rather than mystify them with diverse aspects of your sound. Though there are moments of brilliant musicality, this ends up becoming a highly schizophrenic introduction from the Edmonton-based trio.
