Lightheaded by Downright

Lightheaded - the new album from Downright - is a unique ride through the style of one of the country's most original bands. It is a set of transcendent music that invites listeners to leave their physical bodies and enter a state of musical illumination.

"We're all lightheaded when it comes down to it," says Steve Lewis, one half of the musical partnership that is Downright. Lewis and Matthew DeVine have nurtured Downright since its inception, always maintaining a continuity of musical style geared toward “the liberation of soul.” The light in question here is the Beatle-esque "inner light," and whatever your philosophy, everybody has something inside that wants to get out. The songs on Lightheaded invite us to seek out that liberty; "Get Yourself Free" speaks to that purpose in a musical language somewhere between Prince and the Commodores.

The vibe of Lightheaded is one of positivity and elevation, but the stylistic methods for manifesting the subject are unique to each song. "Put Me on The Ranch" is a rocking roots number which posits escapism as the method (maybe if you become a cowboy, you'll have it made!) In "My Style," a funk anthem, the singer tenaciously holds on to his sense of personal style as a way of life. Other numbers deal with finding strength through romantic love, getting rid of paranoia through changing your perspective, and sleep as a negotiation tactic.

Lightheaded is a great work of art made by seriously gifted songwriters and performers; with melodies and hooks that work their way into your soul and won't let go. You try getting "Pants On Backwards" out of your head.