Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding has the misfortune of debuting during the time of a renewed British Invasion, somewhat lost stateside in the shuffle of UK-born pop powerhouses flooding our shores. But Goulding’s sparkling electronica is more than infectious enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of native sisters Adele and Florence Welch.  Her 2010 debut, Lights, was hyped to its bursting point in her homeland, and the album’s blend of warbling indie-ready vocals with clubhouse synth riffs makes every track sound as if a lilting folk wallflower accidentally stumbled onto the dance floor in the best way possible. Singles “Guns And Horses” and “Starry Eyed” are particular standouts, evidence of Goulding’s feet-moving marriage of circuit board sizzle and acoustic vulnerability that undercuts disco glamour with anxiously love-struck lyrics.

Updated 07/13/2011