{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Cosmic Logic | type = studio | artist = Peaking Lights | cover = Peaking Lights – Cosmic Logic.jpg | released = {{Start date|2014|10|07}} | genre = Synth pop<ref name="Consequence" /> | length = 46:27 | label = *Weird World *Domino | producer = Matt Thornley | prev_title = Lucifer | prev_year = 2012 | next_title = The Fifth State of Consciousness | next_year = 2017 | misc = {{Singles|name=Cosmic Logic|type=studio|single1=Breakdown|single1date=August 18, 2014|single2=Everyone and Us|single2date=September 17, 2014}} }} '''''Cosmic Logic''''' is the fourth studio album by California-based psychedelic pop duo Peaking Lights. It was released on October 7, 2014, via Weird World and Domino Recording Company,<ref name="Pitchfork" /><ref name="DIY" /> in LP, CD and digital formats.<ref name="Louder Than War" />
The album, incorporating elements of experimental rock, dancehall and Afrobeat,<ref name="Exclaim!" /> was produced by former LCD Soundsystem guitarist Matt Thornley. "Breakdown" was released as the lead single on August 18, 2014,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rettig |first=James |date=August 18, 2014 |title=Peaking Lights – "Breakdown" |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1699376/peaking-lights-breakdown/news/ |access-date=October 13, 2025 |website=Stereogum |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Coplan |first=Chris |date=August 18, 2014 |title=Peaking Lights announce new album, ''Cosmic Logic'', stream "Breakdown" |url=https://consequence.net/2014/08/peaking-lights-announce-new-album-cosmic-logic-stream-breakdown/ |access-date=October 13, 2025 |website=Consequence |language=en}}</ref> alongside a music video directed by Eugene Kotlyarenko.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=September 4, 2014 |title=Watch Peaking Lights' funny video for 'Breakdown' |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/watch-peaking-l/ |access-date=October 13, 2025 |website=BrooklynVegan |language=en-US}}</ref> It was followed by the second single, "Everyone and Us", on September 17, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Minsker |first=Evan |date=September 17, 2014 |title=Peaking Lights Share "Everyone and Us" |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/56728-peaking-lights-share-everyone-and-us/ |access-date=October 13, 2025 |website=Pitchfork |language=en}}</ref>
==Reception== {{Music ratings |rev1=''Clash'' |rev1score=6/10<ref name="Clash" /> |rev2=''DIY'' |rev2score={{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="DIY" /> |rev3=''Exclaim!'' |rev3score=9/10<ref name="Exclaim!" /> |rev4=''Irish Times'' |rev4score={{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Irish Times" /> |rev5=''Louder Than War'' |rev5score=9/10<ref name="Louder Than War" /> |rev6=''MusicOMH'' |rev6score={{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="MusicOMH" /> |rev7=''NME'' |rev7score={{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="NME" /> |rev8=''Pitchfork'' |rev8score=6.5/10<ref name="Pitchfork" /> |rev9=''Rolling Stone'' |rev9score={{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="Rolling Stone" /> |rev10=''The Skinny'' |rev10score={{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="Skinny" /> }} AllMusic{{'s}} Fred Thomas remarked, "Peaking Lights simply push for greater clarity and articulation on ''Cosmic Logic'', refining their approach but keeping the blurry balance of rhythm and sun-dazed psychedelia."<ref name="AllMusic">{{Cite web |first=Fred |last=Thomas |date=October 7, 2014 |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/cosmic-logic-mw0002730094 |title=Album: ''Cosmic Logic'' |work=AllMusic |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref>
Writing for ''Beat'', the Sideman referred to the album as "a collection of short, spacey but not spaced-out psychedelic pop songs marks a significant change in direction for the Californian-based husband/wife duo."<ref name="Beat">{{Cite web |first=The |last=Sideman |date=December 9, 2014 |url=https://beat.com.au/peaking-lights-cosmic-logic/ |title=Peaking Lights – ''Cosmic Logic'' |work=Beat |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref> The album received a rating of six from ''Clash'', whose reviewer Kim Hillyard noted it as "an entirely new trip" with "less ayahuasca haze, more intergalactic kitsch", "minimal metallic worms replace the fuzzy sunbeams," and "odd popping analogue synthesizers cut tropical disco shards."<ref name="Clash">{{Cite web |first=Kim |last=Hillyard |date=October 13, 2014 |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/peaking-lights-cosmic-logic/ |title=Reviews: Peaking Lights – ''Cosmic Logic'' |work=Clash |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref>
''Consequence''{{'s}} Sasha Geffen called ''Cosmic Logic'' "by far the most concrete work Peaking Lights have laid to tape, and at points it can hammer down too bluntly," noting its "dub-inflected synthpop" style.<ref name="Consequence">{{Cite web |first=Sasha |last=Geffen |date=October 9, 2014 |url=https://consequence.net/2014/10/album-review-peaking-lights-cosmic-logic/ |title=Album Review: Peaking Lights – ''Cosmic Logic'' |work=Consequence |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref> In a four-star review for ''DIY'', Jamie Milton observed that the album is "rigid" and "sharp in delivery," stating "There's a density to these songs, too. It's not just a band speeding up the tempo and following the odd rule – their songwriting's become more complex."<ref name="DIY">{{Cite web |first=Jamie |last=Milton |date=October 6, 2014 |url=https://diymag.com/review/album/peaking-lights-cosmic-logic-album-review |title=Peaking Lights – ''Cosmic Logic'': Album Review |work=DIY |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref> Scott Simpson, in his review for ''Exclaim!'', noted the album's "all supremely catchy melodies, simple and almost spoken-word lyricism and constant use of repetition," rating it nine out of ten.<ref name="Exclaim!">{{Cite web |first=Scott |last=Simpson |date=October 3, 2014 |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/peaking_lights-cosmic_logic |title=Peaking Lights – ''Cosmic Logic'' |work=Exclaim! |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref> Chris Jones of ''the Irish Times'' assigned the album a rating of four stars and commented, "on ''Cosmic Logic'' they've taken a scalpel to their sound."<ref name="Irish Times">{{Cite web |first=Chris |last=Jones |date=October 1, 2014 |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/peaking-lights-cosmic-logic-1.1948081 |title=Peaking Lights – ''Cosmic Logic'' |work=Irish Times |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref>
It was described as "a collection of tracks stuffed with bang-on-trend, four-on-the-floor beats buried beneath squelching bass and faraway vocals" by Luke Cartledge of ''the Line of Best Fit''.<ref name="Line of Best Fit">{{Cite web |first=Luke |last=Cartledge |date=October 2, 2014 |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/peaking-lights-cosmic-logic |title=Reviews: Albums – Peaking Lights – ''Cosmic Logic'' |work=The Line of Best Fit |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref> Reviewing for ''Louder Than War'', Paul Scott-Bates called the album "yet another auditory delight," opining that "the trademark oriental sound and influences are still present and lyrically it maybe leaves something to be desired."<ref name="Louder Than War">{{Cite web |first=Paul |last=Scott-Bates |date=November 9, 2014 |url=https://louderthanwar.com/peaking-lights-cosmic-logic-album-review/ |title=Peaking Lights – ''Cosmic Logic'': Album Review |work=Louder Than War |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref> Christopher Monk of ''MusicOMH'' referred to songs on the album as "strong and as instantly appealing", commenting "''Lucifer''{{'s}} fans might bemoan the band's decision not to explore further the crossover between dub, indie rock and synth pop."<ref name="MusicOMH">{{Cite web |first=Christopher |last=Monk |date=October 1, 2014 |url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/peaking-lights-cosmic-logic |title=Reviews: Albums – Peaking Lights – ''Cosmic Logic'' |work=MusicOMH |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref>
The album was rated four stars by ''NME''{{'s}} Rhian Daly who called it "tighter than anything they've recorded previously" and "a great return and a slick change of direction."<ref name="NME">{{Cite web |first=Rhian |last=Daly |date=October 3, 2014 |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-peaking-lights-15687-324027 |title=Reviews: Peaking Lights |work=NME |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref> In a 6.5-rated review for ''Pitchfork'', Stuart Berman remarked, "from a sonic standpoint at least, ''Cosmic Logic'' is a triumph, retaining the heady allure of the band's earlier records but infusing it with enough rhythmic intricacy and fidgety energy to warrant a band-name change to Tweaking Lights."<ref name="Pitchfork">{{Cite web |first=Stuart |last=Berman |date=October 6, 2014 |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/19854-peaking-lights-cosmic-logic/ |title=Reviews: Albums – Peaking Lights – ''Cosmic Logic'' |work=Pitchfork |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref> Assigning it a rating of seven, ''PopMatter''s{{'}} Colin Fitzgerald opined, "On ''Cosmic Logic'', the band's glittery electronic aesthetics and hypnotic drum machine rhythms remain, but the songs are stripped of the dense atmospherics and ambling structures of previous efforts."<ref name="PopMatters">{{Cite web |first=Colin |last=Fitzgerald |date=December 2, 2014 |url=https://www.popmatters.com/188198-peaking-lights-cosmic-logic-2495584280.html |title=Peaking Lights – ''Cosmic Logic'' |work=PopMatters |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref>
Commenting "On their fourth album, the pair explore the more lysergic parts of our world through gossamer electronica, buoyant vocal effects and metaphysical grooves", Paula Mejía of ''Rolling Stone'' gave it a rating of four stars.<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{Cite web |first=Paula |last=Mejia |date=October 30, 2014 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/cosmic-logic-86069/ |title=Music Album Reviews: ''Cosmic Logic'' |work=Rolling Stone |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref> In a two-star review for ''the Skinny'', Gary Kaill noted, "''Cosmic Logic'' demonstrates its craft via studio smarts rather than deep song craft."<ref name="Skinny">{{Cite web |first=Gary |last=Kaill |date=September 23, 2014 |url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/peaking-lights-cosmic-logic |title=Music Reviews Albums: Peaking Lights – ''Cosmic Logic'' |work=The Skinny |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref> Anthony Carew of ''the Sydney Morning Herald'' observed, "''Cosmic Logic'', their fourth, has plenty of spacey lyrics and trailing echo, but its melodies are bold and its production brilliant; the LP playing like Peaking Lights' bona fide breakout."<ref name="Sydney Morning Herald">{{Cite web |first=Anthony |last=Carew |date=October 10, 2014 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/shortlist-album-reviews-prince-brings-back-the-funk-on-art-official-age-20141008-10r8zr.html |title=Shortlist – Album Reviews: Prince Brings Back the Funk on Art Official Age |work=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=September 5, 2025 }}</ref>
== Track listing == {{Track listing | headline = ''Cosmic Logic'' track listing | total_length = 46:27 | title1 = Infinite Trips | note1 = | length1 = 3:06 | title2 = Telephone Call | note2 = | length2 = 4:04 | title3 = Hypnotic Hustle | note3 = | length3 = 4:22 | title4 = Everyone and Us | note4 = | length4 = 3:44 | title5 = Little Light | note5 = | length5 = 4:17 | title6 = Dreamquest | note6 = | length6 = 3:47 | title7 = Eyes to Sea | note7 = | length7 = 3:54 | title8 = Bad with the Good | note8 = | length8 = 4:28 | title9 = New Grrrls | note9 = | length9 = 4:46 | title10 = Breakdown | note10 = | length10 = 4:37 | title11 = Tell Me Your Song | note11 = | length11 = 4:42 }}
== Personnel == Credits adapted from AllMusic.<ref name="AllMusic" /> * Aaron Coyes – bass, engineer, guitar, noise, piano, producer, programming, synthesizer, tapes * Be Hussey – assistant * Drew Fischer – assistant * Indra Dunis – drums, piano, synthesizer, vocals * Matt Thornley – mixing, vocal engineer * Rob Carmichael – design, illustrations * Shawn Reed – illustrations * Simon Davey – mastering
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:2014 albums Category:Peaking Lights albums Category:Domino Recording Company albums Category:Synth-pop albums by American artists