Bright Light Bright Light is the artist name of Welsh singer/songwriter/producer Rod Thomas whose music fuses pop magic with the commercial side of today’s house music scene mixing in doses of disco for very good measure. It’s a definitive type of mellowed out dance music that can easily fit in adult contemporary radio too similar in fashion to “Behavior”-era Pet Shop Boys. And with a parade of guest stars in the collab arsenal including everyone from Alan Cumming to Scissor Sisters, Bright Light Bright Light is getting more deserved attention these days especially on the 2017 single “Running Back to You” featuring none other than Sir Elton John.

“Running Back to You” definitely harks back to a retro pop place yet refreshed with light touches of today’s EDM sound. Journey back in time to John Parr’s empowering 80s movie soundtrack classic “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)” but amped up a bit for the dance floor. It’s that kind of feel. Starting off as a ballad with Thomas’ heartfelt vocals surrounded by a serene ambiance that exudes old-school Kate Bush, “Running Back to You” quickly moves into a Britpop-influenced dance music realm. Seminal 90s alternative synthpop UK bands Xymox and Secession certainly come to mind. United with intoxicating electronica dance beats prancing around, the uplifting anthem permeates Elton John’s fantastical musicality powered by lush atmospherics and buoyant emotion. It's the perfect soundscape for Thomas to belt out dreamy, love-conquers-all lyrics like “So when the night falls and my mind drifts into space and I know that I’m dreaming...even that can’t take away your hand from my shoulder.”

Lifted from the full-length “Choreography“ LP by Bright Light Bright Light, “Running Back to You” is just a glimpse into the inspired pop art of Thomas. Giving nods to influences across the decades, the single is it's own idiosyncratic mix of yesteryear yet still polished off with the dance music sound of today. And that's a great place to be.