I’m not sure what I was expecting from Golden, an EP by an obscure LA-based band called Parade of Lights. Perhaps gritty, distorted vocals, heavy beats and deliciously ear-piercing electronic riffs.
What I found instead was a clean, poppy sound that could probably be fodder for DJs at dances. The vocals were reminiscent of One Direction or any number of male singer-songwriters, without the electronic modifications so common in most electronic music.
The beats were strong, but not overwhelming, and the electronic tones were kept to a minimum. The mood of the EP was strongly positive.
Parade of Lights, which boasts over 8,000 likes on Facebook, consists of four members: Ryan Daly, Anthony Improgo, Michelle Ashley and Randy Schulte. They describe their sound as “equal parts rock, new wave, and shoegaze … a unique blend of ’80s- influenced pop, drawing on inspiration from artists like U2, Depeche Mode, M83, and even Madonna.”
Before they were Parade of Lights, in 2006, the four made up the band Polus and released the EP Wish. They went on hiatus soon after (due to the demand for Daly and Improgo as musicians) but reunited in 2011 as Parade of Lights and released another EP, Born to Live, Born to Love, in September 2012.
Golden, their latest release, fulfills the promise on their Facebook page: an “electronic shoegaze anthem rock sound” with more to come in their next EP.
Here’s an audio version of Golden.
