Summer anthem alert!  Los Angeles natives, Parade of Lights, released their EP, Golden, on March 25. Listen to it free on SoundCloud!

If techno and indie rock had a baby it would be in the form of Parade of Lights. Their sound is along the lines of indie and alternative rock bands, MGMT and The Naked and Famous.

They debuted in 2012 with their EP, Born to Live, Born to Love. After enjoying the new tracks, I decided to go back and listen to their first EP. Golden sounds much more developed and not as techno and repetitive. Born to Live, Born to Love is more laid back as opposed to Golden’s upbeat rhythm but with that said, the old songs are comparatively bland and boring.

I also feel that Ryan Daly (lead vocals) and Anthony Improgo’s (drums)  song writing has evolved. Golden is all about living while you’re young and being free while the previous lyrics have generic love songs muffled by even more generic beats. Their new sound is less filtered, and I don’t even feel like I’m listening to the same band. (Thank God!)

As I’m writing this, I just want to get up and start a dance party. (This only happens in Glee!) I also feel that if you are throwing a beach or pool party this summer and Golden isn’t at the top of your playlist then it isn’t summer 2014.

My favorite track on the four-song EP is “Golden.”

“Everybody get golden,

just for tonight

Everybody get golden,

so we can go until we shine,”

are just some of the catchy lyrics. The chorus transports me to an imaginary California highway near the coastline, surfers riding waves, the windows down, while the wind mixes with the music. Back to reality. School’s over in a month, but “Golden” is summer in my ears.

“Burn” is a fun summer song that I’d listen to with my friends. It reminds me of the song “Cardiac Arrest” by Bad Suns.

“Come on, Let’s ride

We’ll take on the world tonight.”

The third song on the album, The Island, is a little more relaxed than the other tracks. If you still want something energetic, but a little more subdued, this song has it all. Ryan Daly sings about getting away and being “forever young,” two concepts students will be thinking about by the end of the school year.

“We’re The Kids” is a perfect song for teenagers and young adults with youthful lyrics like,

“Doesn’t matter who you are

Undiscovered lovers call

Don’t you wanna risk it all?”

There’s not much to it but it promotes a sense of empowerment in young people.

This album is perfect for the days you want to get pumped up and motivated, maybe with your workout routine or just jamming while you clean your room. I’m excited to see what Parade of Lights comes out with in the future. Based on their improvement from their first EP I can only guess they will get better with time.

The band will be touring through Washington and California. They will also perform at Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee, Firefly Music Festival in Delaware and Summer Fest in Wisconsin. Get the full list of shows and tickets!

You can purchase the Golden-EP on iTunes!