sentences:  Writing for "Mojo", James McNair described "Northern Lites" as a mix of "Tijuana brass, steel drums, and itch-scratching Latin percussion" and claimed that the "great" song was "one of the most frothily inventive pop confections" since Super Furry Animals' 1998 track, "Ice Hockey Hair".In "Q", reviewer Peter Kane stated that the song's combination of "cheesy calypso sway" and "Tijuana brass" were wonderful.Dave Simpson, writing in "The Guardian", claimed that the song was "possibly the first hit to be massively influenced by Tito Puente."