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The Higher - On Fire
Album Details
- Artist: The Higher
- Album: On Fire
- Label: Epitaph
- Year of Release: 2007
- ME Rating:
- Reviewed by: Michael Schmitt on 2007-07-31
- Viewed: 938 times
I know you shouldn’t read a book by it’s cover – or in this case – the book jacket, but this is a little hard to ignore. “With their full-length Epitaph debut, On Fire, The Higher manage to articulate the complexity of hormone-driven torment without ever losing their devil-may-care attitude … On Fire also features a bumping bonus track remixed by Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump … If dance beats are the new power chords, then The Higher are here to lead the revolution.” So excuse me for not being optimistic as The Higher’s second album On Fire slips into my CD player, and not being surprised when another Warped Tour destined, Fall Out Boy / Panic! At The Disco clone feebly dribbles out of my speakers.
But all bitterness aside, even if I were a fan of teeny-bopper post-punk sob-fest acts, this would be an unoriginal attempt to jump on the bandwagon too late. No “devil-may-cry” attitude comes across in these songs, even if yes, all the songs are about how the band can’t get any action (if that is “hormone-driven torment,” I was expecting songs about Endocrine disorders). The tracks within On Fire simply aren’t as catchy as their overplayed-on-the-radio brethren. There are no hooks like those in The All-American Rejects’ “Dirty Little Secret” or Fall Out Boy’s “Dance Dance.”
Even if The Higher’s tracks aren’t catchy, you can easily discern who they were emulating in each track. For example, “Darkpop” hints at the same sort of dramatic climaxes commonly used by Paramore, “Movement” could be transformed into a Red Jumpsuit Apparatus clone if done better, and “Histrionics” attempts the vocal range and emotional-angst of The Rocket Summer. Even “Rock My Body” contains a bit of distorted vocals, much like those made famous (or infamous) by Hellogoodbye. Original work should be the number-one priority of artists, and The Higher simply fail. More than that, their thinly-clad rip-offs aren’t even that good. With lines like “How come this always happens to me?/It’s such a certain tragedy”, its a wonder The Higher got signed to Epitaph at all.
But all bitterness aside, even if I were a fan of teeny-bopper post-punk sob-fest acts, this would be an unoriginal attempt to jump on the bandwagon too late. No “devil-may-cry” attitude comes across in these songs, even if yes, all the songs are about how the band can’t get any action (if that is “hormone-driven torment,” I was expecting songs about Endocrine disorders). The tracks within On Fire simply aren’t as catchy as their overplayed-on-the-radio brethren. There are no hooks like those in The All-American Rejects’ “Dirty Little Secret” or Fall Out Boy’s “Dance Dance.”
Even if The Higher’s tracks aren’t catchy, you can easily discern who they were emulating in each track. For example, “Darkpop” hints at the same sort of dramatic climaxes commonly used by Paramore, “Movement” could be transformed into a Red Jumpsuit Apparatus clone if done better, and “Histrionics” attempts the vocal range and emotional-angst of The Rocket Summer. Even “Rock My Body” contains a bit of distorted vocals, much like those made famous (or infamous) by Hellogoodbye. Original work should be the number-one priority of artists, and The Higher simply fail. More than that, their thinly-clad rip-offs aren’t even that good. With lines like “How come this always happens to me?/It’s such a certain tragedy”, its a wonder The Higher got signed to Epitaph at all.
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Tell us why this album is great or sucks ass, or correct the reviewer. If you write enough quality reviews you may find yourself on the editorial staff.
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on 2008-05-11 rimewire Said:
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I think the song "Insurance" is very catchy. I haven't heard of the whole album yet, but so far, out of the four songs I've heard, it's the only song worth listening to.
The fact that they brand themselves "R'nB" is quite unusual, though.
I disagree that they sound like FOB or Panic!, I'm actually almost very sure that they have a somewhat distinct tune.
They probably have serious potential.
XXXxx
Rating: 10/10
Review:
on 2007-08-22 blackxdan Said:
an answer to your final question; they seem to be quite a success.
Not Rated
