Bright Shining Lights shares ‘SM-02’ LP

Coming out of Pequannock in New Jersey, Bright Shining Lights have always viewed music as something capable of opening doors to imagined worlds. Revovling around storytelling and driven by a shared love of film and music, the band creates work designed to take listeners somewhere else by creating journeys through sound while leaving enough space for the imagination to complete the picture.

Their influences offer some indication of the context behind that ambition; Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, The Cure and Peter Gabriel all sit among the artists who’ve helped shape their musical perspective, with Bright Shining Lights filtering those influences through their own lens, creating music that can take shape as art, as a potential soundtrack to film, or simply as music appreciated for its own sake.

Bright Shining Lights first unveiled their highly original vision in 2020 with the band’s debut album, This Is Where We Start. After initially presenting their sound, Bright Shining Lights stepped away from sharing their studio work for a period before returning with new material last year. Since then, a series of well-received releases has seen the band continue to develop an identity increasingly concerned with atmosphere, storytelling and the possibilities of instrumental music.

Now they’re going deeper into that world with SM-02, the second instalment in their ongoing series of instrumental records. While June’s album SM-01 opened the door, SM-02 strides through it to expand upon its predecessor with richer strings, fuller orchestral accompaniment and a darker, more beautiful atmosphere. Not just a collection of instrumental pieces, the new LP feels like something more cinematic, a score searching for the film that might eventually accompany it.

There is no fixed character, plot or explanation telling the listener what to see, with the music providing the atmosphere and allowing the listener to supply the sequence of events. Leaning into a more immersive sound with a deliberate ambition to make it feel closer to a film score, SM-02 represents something of a departure from the first record while continuing the ideas explored through The Sun Is A Star, where Bright Shining Lights discovered how powerful music could become when the tale wasn’t being directed by lyrics.

Opening with “Here To There,” the swell of hazy instrumental textures form a drifting soundscape that flows with murky low-end tones and bright flickers, crafting a mesmeric listening experience that’s gradually glides into a spellbinding scene. “Through The Long Grass” glides with dazzling choral lines while the stretched instrumental backing is met by airy piano notes, taking listeners on a transportive sonic voyage unlike any other.

“I Wish You Could See This” takes shape with buzzy instrumental elements as bubbling tones coalesce into an enchanting musical experience where delicate melodic whispers float above the enveloping arrangement. Other highlights on the album include songs like “Path Less Travelled” which gently floats with soothing timbres, crafting a dreamy atmosphere that progresses with the jittery flutter of bright strings and warm orchestral tones to deliver a truly cinematic listening experience from start to finish.

With “Cartwheels,” soft piano notes usher in intricate string touches as swirling tones and distant percussive shots blend into an engrossing soundscape while “Splendor” glows with alluring vocalisations and mellow instrumentation to create an enticing instrumental sphere. Closing the record with “The Moon And The Water,” Bright Shining Lights pairs elegant piano lines, surging textures and rustling percussion to present a wholly absorbing finale to the spectacular new full-length LP.

Commenting on the release, the band offers, “This record feels more immersive and cinematic than SM-01. We wanted to deliver something that felt more like a film score. It’s a bit of a departure from the first, but certainly built upon the creation of The Sun Is A Star — where we discovered how impactful music can be when you don’t direct the narrative through lyrics.”

Listen to SM-02 below