Knox Hamilton
The Heights
Reviewed by: Ziggy Merritt
Whenever I run across the phrase “arena pop-rock” I tend to cringe. Lately that same phrase reminds me of past-prime Coldplay and U2- both bands have produced their fair share of ear candy back in their heyday, but now seem to be trapped in their own vaulted headspace. At the same time you can’t write off any band simply because of their style. For their debut, Arkansas-based trio Knox Hamilton string together a series of upbeat if inoffensively derivative tracks that share the same space as their influences.
To their immediate credit, debut album The Heights scarcely has a point where it’s a challenge to get through. Much of it is awash in the early rays of summer that seem to be defined by radio-friendly modular synths and light jangle pop. Foster the People and St. Lucia will no doubt immediately come up as some of their contemporary comparisons, but at times that comparison takes on a more literal edge. Lining up the staggered bass on “Call Me Up” against that of say “Pumped Up Kicks” uncovers some of the weaker edges of the album that lean hard on that derivative label.
But there’s never a point where the album loses focus from being what it was meant to be: a fun collection of pop rock. “We Get Back” and “Washed Up Together” are both certified bangers that weave in elements of dreamy chillwave that help to dispel the dreariness of a long, confusing winter. It’s also hard not to smile once “Sight For Sore Eyes” works up to its full and festive tempo that seems to capture the frenetic energy of a band still searching for a sound to call their own.
Rating: Listenable
