Through fire, snow, countless states, many rental cars, and a hotshot new rhythm section, Darren Jessee and his band Hotel Lights spent the past year creating and perfecting a fantastic new album: Firecracker People
Hotel Lights is songwriter Darren Jessee, otherwise known as the drummer (and co-songwriter) of the now defunct Ben Folds Five. After releasing his self-titled debut album as Hotel Lights in 2005, critics lauded Jessee’s naturally gifted ability of “capturing the giant magnitude of tiny moments” in “heartfelt songs that make the most of a catchy melody.” After releasing a 6-Song EP, goodnightgoodmorning, having a song featured on Grey’s Anatomy, and touring the USA with like-minded peers Tift Merritt, Nada Surf, Bishop Allen, Jennifer O’Connor and Chris Mills, Jessee was more than ready to record another album with longtime band mate and producer Alan Weatherhead.
After an unfortunate fire derailed them from recording at The Sound of Music in Richmond, they brought a buoyant new rhythm section from Tift Merritt’s band (drummer Zeke Hutchins and bassman Jay Brown) and drove to Butch Vig’s Smart Studios to record the basic tracks. Jessee decided to keep it loose this time around and asked the band to not over-rehearse the new songs. The result is a fresh, live sound that recalls Wilco’s Summerteeth or Nada Surf’s Let Go. Jessee and Weatherhead finished the album by traveling back and forth to each other’s home studios in North Carolina and Richmond over the remainder of 2007. By early 2008, the band’s sophomore album was finally complete.
Firecracker People could very well be the perfect driving record because it takes you on a journey itself. While Jessee’s charmingly distinctive voice and lyrics are the focus of the album, the elegant melodies and subtly embellished crystal-clear guitar soundscapes make the album complete. You will find yourself listening closely for each word, and singing along to every melody. Jessee’s songs are akin to short stories, introducing us to new characters and intimate life moments, both real and imagined. On the opening track, “Blue Always Finds Me,” Jessee takes the listener from Maine down to Texas and straight on up to a star-filled sky. The title track, originally penned for a yet-to-be released Parker Posey film, reveals Jessee’s knack for simplicity and universal truths: “We’re all firecracker people, going off all the time.” Jessee’s songwriting was well-loved by Ben Folds fans, and he surely won't disappoint in this new recording of fan favorite “Amelia Bright.” Never released on a Ben Folds Five album, the song is a breezy highlight, with a catchy piano hook and a sweet tale about a certain girl in a “red ‘50s dress from a thrift shop nearby.” The album ends with a masterpiece, “Run Away Happy”, that begins in simple folk styling, slowly building into a gorgeous pop tale about possibilities of creating a new life. But citing lyrics, listing complimentary adjectives and name-dropping references merely scratches the surface of an album that can be a deeply felt listening experience. Simply put: this is an album you can easily listen to in its entirety, imagining your own experiences along the way.
As a whole, Hotel Lights is not your average band, and Firecracker People is not an average record. The album, like the band itself, is eclectic, effortless and classic all at once. While their debut effort was a wondrously slow burn, Firecracker People shines bright from the start. And as Darren Jessee continues to blaze his own path as a songwriter with Hotel Lights, Firecracker People is a beacon for all to take notice.
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