Critiquing Albums Like I Could Make Anything Better: – Sunlight by Spacey Jane

I was lucky enough to see Spacey about two weeks before restrictions set in last year, and this album dropped – and let me just say that the crowd was WAY rougher than I’d expected for what I’d considered to be a very laid-back sounding band. That said, I love their music because it’s somehow laid-back and at the same time very, very energetic. The anticipation that they create in their songs for the next part of the song isn’t something I can put into words. There are these great, amazingly written verses that flow so seamlessly into a subtly explosive hook that just feel so natural that you find yourself knowing all the words without even thinking.

The album as a whole is very coherent. There’s not a lot of genre play, but of course, that’s not a problem, considering their sound, if you’re into it, is timeless and fairly emotionally malleable to the listener. However, the tracks’ similarity did make it hard to rank the tracks or talk about why I like them individually because honestly, every track is a #1, but I have listened to some of them more than others.

I highly highly recommend listening to the album, so here.

Tracklist

Good for you

I saw this one live, it was already out before the album, and it was SO energetic.

Head Cold

This was the second song of theirs that I obsessed over, the first being feeding the family. It was the highlight of the concert for me. It’s literally impossible to choose a favourite part of this song; it’s perfect.

Skin

This is probably the most chill song on the album, it’s a great road trip song, and a great skin cancer campaign. “you called me up just to tell me that you kissed him”, and the following solo is probably my favourite part. I love the extra distortion of the vocals.

Good Grief

I listened to this song over and over and over and over for months. “I don’t care about things that I’m too young to know”, for me, is the stand out lyric for this album. I love how the different section of the song picks up different energy levels, but it all blends perfectly.

Wasted on Me

A SOLID crying song. For those of you who just got out of a long-term relationship in your youth, I’m sure it would be even more useful.

Booster Seat

This song ended up with #2 in the hottest 100, but it was #1 in all of our hearts. It was my favourite the first time I listened to the album, and I never get sick of hearing it. I don’t know how to explain it, but it gives my heart the same favour of peace and nostalgia that Rum Rage by sticky fingers does. The lyrics “Drink a jug of mind erase, Feel it burn and watch it glow” are some of my favourite on the album.

Love Me Like I Haven’t Changed

This was also one of my initial favourites, the guitar in the intro is a tad different from the guitar style on the rest of the album. I think “love me like i haven’t changed” is such a sweet and simple and sad sentiment.

Weightless

This one’s a bit faster paced, and I’m not sure why but it’s probably my least listened to song. I love when the verse breaks into like an electro-pop space dream before the chorus comes back in. It feels very paranoid and frantic. I’m about to spend the next two months on this song.

Straightfaced

This is one of my favourites (I keep saying that but every song is great, so I mean it). Caleb’s voice sounds so nice in the higher-pitched parts of this song. The guitar details that come in through the second verse are so beautiful. I’m also fairly sure that string instruments come in during the bridge, adding a stunning layer of emotion.

Trucks

I remember liking this song on the first listen but then not listening to it for months afterwards, for no reason at all. It’s great, I love the background vocals and the sparkly noises all the way through, but the lyrics don’t stand out to me as much and the usual anticipation I feel with spacey jane songs just isn’t as prominent on this track. It doesn’t bring on any particular feeling or imagery for me.

Hanging

This song is sad if you listen to the lyrics too hard, but if not, it sounds very happy and chill. The guitar is a little different from most of the other tracks too. I like how he yells in the last line.

Sunlight

This song is about a houseplant that is actually a relationship. If you play it for your plants they will live, I promise. It’s less energetic than other songs, but I love how its put together, the melodic lifts are beautiful and I love the main riff. It’s a great song to finish the album off with.

Track ranking

1. Head Cold
2. Booster Seat
3. Good Grief
4. Straightfaced
5. Wasted on Me
6. Love Me Like I Haven’t Changed
7. Good for You
8. Weightless
9. Skin
10. Sunlight
11. Trucks
12. Hanging