Great Northern trade in lush, dreamy pop drenched in effects to the point of saturation. It isn't until “Telling Lies,” the record’s fourth track, that I feel able to stomach anything here, and then I think it might be because “Telling Lies” reminds me of the Michael W. Smith tapes I used to listen to in grade school. Part Cardigans, part Coldplay, Great Northern practice syrupy melodrama, but at least the bombastic productions suits the maddeningly asinine lyrics: “The softest things you never quite see/ But you know they are there/ So let them carry you/ They’re there for you/ And everything you do.” I’m pretty sure that means absolutely nothing. Then again, they do have Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs) producer Matthias Schneeberger, so maybe it makes sense.
If you’re a fan of the pleasantness of prime-time network TV soundtracks, Trading Twilight for Daylight might just float your boat. “A Sun a Sound,” isn’t much less grating than the rest of the record, but at least the harmonies are nice. “Into the Sun” has its problems, but it’s got some pep. But although these and the New Pornographers-like “The Middle” are bouncier than the record’s first half, the melodramatic pall hanging over the whole affair, coupled with lousy lyrics, make Trading Twilight for Daylight a trader more’n a player.
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