Ah, this was a let-down. From the first couple of tracks, I really thought this was going to be a nice electro-pop-whatever album to soundtrack my summer; but alas, nay. 

Released on the 12k label, its very tastefully packaged in a highbrow electronica style; but the sounds within are actually predominantly acoustic - lots of guitar, piano, glockenspiel and accordion: quite a pastoral sound in some ways. First off, this is exquisitely recorded and produced; there’s incredible attention to detail, lots of little subtle colourings. “In Light” reveals some very deft production touches through headphones. In many respects, this is where any influence of electronica is to be found; it certainly isn’t very evident in the beats, which are very straight and understated. This is a relief in many ways, since quite a few of the “electronica-pop” type affairs I’ve heard have had fiddly, glitchy drum-programming; something which can often become distracting and unnecessary to my ear.

“Distracting” is one of the last words I would use to describe this album, unfortunately. Its incredibly clean and straight; this needn’t be a bad thing, but in the case of “In Light”, it is. At points it could slightly remind the listener of Stereolab in their lighter, prettier moments; but there’s no real “indie” sensibility here, and no overwhelming evidence of any electronica sensibility either. It is incredibly “straight”; it appears to aim at beautiful and delicate songs and sounds, but at many points runs the risk of becoming inoffensive, sterile and flavourless. The last track might be called “Lemmy”, but there’s little sign of Mr. Kilmister’s influence...
 

Maybe I’m being overly-critical here. If you find a place in your heart for the melodies, then you do indeed have before you a very restrained, delicate, unashamedly beautiful album. Certainly “Life” has a nice, dreamy melancholy about it, and “Arrows In Time” is a curiously enjoyable instrumental jaunt; but, as I’ve said, Small Color’s sound is a little too chocolate-box for me - almost kitsch. I’m not using “straight” as a pejorative; I just feel that, stripped of the very intelligent and subtle production colourings, “In Light” is an album of fairly mundane songs.