Artist: The Honorary TitleRelease Date: 28 August 2007
Sounds Like:
Dashboard Confessional
Bright Eyes
I picked up The Honorary Title's first album, "Anything Else But The Truth", almost two years ago. When I first put it in my CD player, it didn't leave for at least a month. I listened to it over and over, learning every word by heart. Still to this day I can recite the songs word for word. I didn't intend for this to happen but I couldn't help it, the CD was amazing and still is. It remains one of my favorite albums of all time and left a lot of expectations for this next album.
When done with my first listen to "Scream And Light Up They Sky", I felt a little disappointed. Firstly, there had been a very noticeable change in the sound of the band, slight but noticeable. They had moved from sounding like a 2 man indie/folk group to what sounded like full band with an indie/rock sound. Mostly contributed to the fact that they added on two new members. Secondly, I felt that the songs just weren't as good as the original album.
Feeling a little let down, I went on with my day as normal. After about 2 hours though, I found myself humming. Then I found myself singing lines that I didn't even know. I went back to the CD and began listening to it again, this time finding myself liking it more. I listened to it a third time and found myself enjoying it more. The album had grown on me and I began to see what I missed the first time.
The same sound was there underneath the new one, it just sounded more mature. The music on this album is strong and memorable. The Honorary Title has a distinct ability to craft music that sounds so classic, you will swear that you are listening to something that was made decades ago but is still original in it's own right. This helped a great deal by the vocals of lead singer/songwriter Jarrod Gorbel, who is without a doubt one of the best singers recording today. My only gripe with his vocals on this album would be that it's missing those epic moments from the first album where he would cease to sing and just yell, which is just as amazing as when he sings.
The album is also wonderfully arranged, something some bands need to learn about. They made the smart choice of putting the weakest song first and following it up with one of the strongest. After that first track this CD takes off and doesn't stop until it ends. The Honorary Title has moved on to a more mature and full sound that shows in their music as well as their lyrics. This is an amazingly strong CD that has and will continue to grow on me, coming just a little short of the original.
9/10
2 comments:
i liked your review, and i love the band. although you did forget to mention some history. you didnt like them at all the first time you listened to them, the second, and maybe even the third, you seemed to had to have "discovered" it yourself to actually realize you loved them. haha
I love you though, your quirky like that.
I love you
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