A chair is practical, simple, and yet it’s understated. The same description could be said for Big Deal’s approach to their debut album, Lights Out. The music is centered upon Kacey Underwood and Alice Costelloe and their guitars: one electric and one acoustic. Two singers and two guitars? Simple indeed. This indie pop duo is easing its way into the music scene with their laidback, coffee shop band approach, but the honest quality to their will make waves.
“Chair” epitomizes the realness that Big Deal captures. The ratio of music to vocals is impressively even, with the fuzzy electric chords complementing the jaggedness to both male and female voices. Lyrics like “Want to be a lover, trying not to be your friend” show how deeply personal this song, as well as the entire album, is to the artists, making them all the more praiseworthy for they are relying on pure emotions to exhibit their musical talents. The band also achieves lyrical success, taking something as simple as a chair and using it as a heartbreak metaphor, confessing themes of love that most are too afraid to admit.
The rest of Lights Out accentuates the band’s talent and utilizes the rawness that makes them unique. Their innate subtleness deserves notoriety. In a music generation that is moving further away from human talent and emphasizes strong usage of electronics, Big Deal is stripping music back down to its core, in a small, yet talented way.