Endings and new beginnings
There’s something to be said about platonic, non-romantic and non-conventional relationships and how in lots of ways those relationships sometimes tend to be built with stronger foundations and last longer in the long run. Amber Webber and Joshua Wells, the duo responsible for Lightning Dust, are a perfect example of strong bonds that surpass romantic expectations, having split as a couple in 2019. It takes a very difficult level of maturity to put differences aside post-breakup to continue to collaborate creatively, which is just what the pair has done on their newest release, Nostalgia Killer, in which the title sets the expectation and encompasses the album’s content in itself. Through adversity and change, art always prevails and not only is the album no exception, it exemplifies the rule.
Through this incredible feat of maturity, Webber and Wells pull back all veils on their emotions and put their past lives on full display, for the benefit of the collective. Webber vocalizes admissions of old passions and new perspectives in many shades throughout the album’s ten tracks. On songs like “Rapids and Rivers” and “I Do,” the lyrics read like poetry and are filled to the brim with reflections on old feelings and new feelings alike, as well as current thoughts and attempts to move past these feelings. Healing is a journey, which a lot of these tracks are within themselves and for someone to take their ex-partner with them for the journey is incredibly unprecedented and makes for such an unheard-of listening experience. It’s evident not just in the lyrics that inhabit each song, but in Webber’s tender vocals, that although there is so much history and pain shared between these two artists, their art and their commitment to making music is the priority and their artistic partnership is much stronger than life’s unexpected challenges.
Musically, there hasn’t been a departure in quality since the duo’s split, rather the opposite. The choices made instrumentally to accompany the melancholic meanings of the lyrics and vocals fit so neatly into each track, never outshining the vocals or distracting from the intention of the project. Although some instruments are used more sparingly than others, it’s always in good taste. It’s almost as if Webber and Wells knew exactly what colors to blend to get the picture that they wanted and used their palette of instruments to achieve said auditory picture. E-pianos and synth plucks and pads are frequent shades sprinkled throughout, whereas the drums are used more cautiously, filling out some of the longer instrumental breaks that are common from track to track. These instrumental breaks are always very fluid and leave room for the listener to reflect while taking in the atmosphere being created.
The bridge of “Run” bolsters the energy for the last leg of the track, where the outro of “Different War” emphasizes the empty and sorrowful feelings, then brings the dynamic down to a soft conclusion. In both instances, Lightning Dust is able to communicate so much without reiterating lyrics that have been already used, which is just another feat to attribute to the duo’s rare accomplishment.
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