Let me tell you something – in high school, “Down Here, We All Float” by Sullivan was my jam! I spent many a night the summer of 2005 (or was it 2006?) freaking out at how good this song was. “F Stop”dominated radio waves the following year and then the band promptly broke up. Well, darn.
Never fear! The group returns 7 years later with the triumphant Heavy is the Head. Does the album live up to its name by being heavy? Sort of. I would say on this album we are made aware of just how keenly the band has matured in the past seven years. It is a mesh of the angsty Sullivan we know with some straightforward alternative rock. In other words, the music has matured along with the band’s primary audience. Even Brooks Paschal’s voice sounds a little less abrasive.
The album is an interesting thing to digest this time of year. It doesn’t really go with the stereotypical Christmas/Winter playlist (excluding holiday songs) I put together. I first heard “You Don’t Mean It” on the radio while pulling into a gas station, dreading the fact that I was going to have to pump some diesel into my Jetta TDI during unseasonably cold temperatures. The whimsical electronic elements were enough to distract me from the deep freeze somewhat, even then. I can only imagine how I might react in the summertime.
The album, in spite of not being super heavy, doesn’t really slow down a whole lot. The closest it comes is during “Melanoma Lullaby” and during the interlude “Seagrams” and album ender “Playing With Fire.” Even then, though, the band can’t help but assert their presence through strong vocals and rhythms. Brooks proves he still capable of stretching his vocal abilities to their limit in the soaring “Playing With Fire,” especially. It’s the icing on the cake with “We’re back!” scrawled on top.
Heavy is the Head is good record for those who like the Warped Tour scene, but might be ashamed to admit it. And for rock fans in general, really.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/151864277″ /]
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