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After spending Saturday afternoon absorbed in the doe-eyed, dreampop murmurs of Headlights’ newest album Wildlife, I waltzed into the Firebird expecting a polite delivery of more of the same. But when the members of Headlights arrived onstage, it was clear this wasn’t going to be an evening of sugary pop confection—the band ditched the prettiness and went for all-out rock, delivering amped-up versions of even their most mellow songs.Opening with “Telephones,” the first track off their 2009 release Wildlife, Headlights roused the crowd out of a sleepy stupor and showcased the tightly-honed harmonies of lead vocalists Erin Fein and Tristan Wraight. Following “Telephones,” Headlights played several softer, melancholy songs, such as “Dead Ends,” before ripping into the infectiously catchy “Cherry Tulips.” As the set gathered momentum, Erin Fein’s vocals shifted from delicate and ethereal to full-bodied belting, hiking the rock factor up a notch and complimenting the charging melodies of Wraight’s guitar. By the time Headlights began especially lively renditions of “Catch Them All,” and “TV,” they had prompted several audience members of the head-bobbing variety to bust a move or two on the dance floor. Indeed it was hard not to be charmed by the band’s energy and sincerity—they delivered each song with an earnestness and vigor that made it almost impossible not to clap and sing along to the catchy choruses. Only at the end of the set did the band revert to more intimate songs such as “Love Song for Buddy,” which was sung as a bittersweet farewell to the opening band, Pomegranates, in honor of their last night on the tour.
Though lacking the xylophone-laden melodies, soft harmonies and slow-burning momentum that characterizes much of Headlights’ recorded work, the dynamic sound of their live show was both compelling and delightful. It’s nice to know this talented pop quartet have more than one trick up their sleeve.
