Francis & the Lights' 2010 debut album, It'll Be Better, is a progressive, electronic, and soul-inflected affair that harks back to both adult-contemporary and new wave recordings of the '80s. In that sense, the band will certainly draw favorable comparisons to such icons of the era as Peter Gabriel and David Bowie. To these ends, the uplifting title track and the moody ballad "Get in the Car" centered around lead singer Francis Farewell Starlight's burnished, throaty croon certainly hem closely to Gabriel's literate and atmospherically melodic palette. Elsewhere, Francis & the Lights delve into a Prince-esque electronic funk vibe on "For Days" and mix singer/songwriter introspection and prog rock on "Darling, It's Alright." This is a hearfelt, creative, and deeply inspired album that should appeal to fans of intelligent pop music.