Adriane Lake’s website describes her music as “adorkable indie female electronica,” a label that, regrettably, fits perfectly. The whimsy is laid on thick on Morning Glow, most of which is made up of bubblegum vocal harmonies and quirky, life affirming lyrics that are a little too cutesy to be enjoyable. It’s a shame, since Lake herself comes off as pleasantly likable and who consistently offers bubbling positivity and unabashed romanticism. But a song like “Cadillac Cat” is too sugary for its own good, featuring meowing sound effects and a chorus that includes the lyric “A Cadillac cat / Where it’s at / A kitty cutie kooky cat.” Elsewhere, Lake tends to repeat the title lyric ad nauseum (see: “So Beautiful” and “The Fullness of Life”). These candy-coated sentiments are set against a backdrop of squiggly synths and dense, syncopated beats—this helps to reduce the sweetness somewhat, but not enough to make it palatable.<!–more–>

The two best songs on the album are the instrumental tracks, which place the full focus on Lake’s lush electronic arrangements. The vaguely Parisian “Jacques Cousteau” sets a dreamy accordion waltz against burbling synthesizers and fluttering percussion, while “Lost Umbrella” features haunting piano arpeggios and harp flourishes. These tracks show that Lake is a talented producer and arranger, despite being hampered by her syrupy songwriting.