Combustible Gems

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If you can judge a band by the company they keep, it says a lot that, in June 2024, Lightheaded will be opening for Heavenly's first US gig in over 30 years. The British twee-pop legends' influence on the Long Branch, NJ, band is clear on songs like gauzy "Hugging Horizons" and  sunshiny, sleigh-bell-laden "Still Sitting Sunday" from their latest album, Combustible Gems. But the record is also inspired by the Softies' cuddlecore and the Feelies' feel-good jangle, as well as Scottish pop—Orange Juice's art-school take on soul and the Pastels' C86 anorak pop. With a great hook, "Always Sideways" comes on like a softer, cozier, less angular Altered Images—more shoegaze than New Wave. It's the perfect support system for bassist/singer Cynthia Rickenbach's lightly droll vocals. Beaming with swooning strings, "Because of You" is teen-idol dreamy and highlights how Rickenbach sometimes sounds like home-state hero Georgia Hubley of Yo La Tengo. Rickenbach has said she was trying to imitate her favorite French yé-yé singers on "Dawn Hush Lullaby," a jangling folk-pop track song that gets its name from 20th-century poet Wilfred J. Funk's list of the 10 most beautiful words in the English language ("dawn," "hush" and "lullaby" are the first three) and rhythm guitarist/co-writer Stephen Stec applying them to describe the voice of a long-distance love. It's groovy, rich and resonant. The band re-recorded their old track "Moments Notice" (also available on the 2019 mixtape Cowboys and Constellations); as nice as it would have been to hear another new song from them, this one was worth revisiting and introducing to a new audience—especially with the addition of lead guitarist Sara Abdlebarry on Gretsch. It's as boppy as ever, led by great guitar and bass lines, as well as splashy drums. Garage rocker "Bright Happy Girls" is like Lightheaded covering Guided By Voices aping the Byrds, and it's a treat. And wide-open "You and Your Mother" is just plain fun: sock-hop rhythm, greaser guitar swagger and Rickenbach floating coolly above the chaos. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz