After two long years Hit the Lights is back with a new album, "Skip School, Start Fights." After listening to the album I was stunned, after two years of waiting they put out an album that exceeds expectations.
When the first song starts, and the vocals come in you realize that they sound different, a really, really good different. New vocalist, Nick Thompson, compliments the band perfectly. The first song, "Count It," is only one minute long and shows their skills, the melodies, and the harmony. They show you what they're know for: their catchy lyrics, and their melodic voices. It's a perfect song to start off with.
Track two, "Breathe In," starts and you're taken away by Nick's voice, becoming instantly hooked and by the end of the song you can't wait for more. With the hook 'breathe in, breathe out' repeating in chants until the end of the song it is stuck inside your head and as the songs ends you're hit with more as track three starts.
The album continues with songs like "Drop the Girl" and "Tell Me Where You Are," each track becoming more addicting. You find yourself dancing by track six and seven, if you aren't already. Things slow down a bit with "Don't Wait," but not too slow. This is the kind of slow where the band doesn't lose their sound, they keep it upbeat and harmonized just as well as the other songs. It's also a song for Nick to show you what he's made of.
"You've got them dropping like cancer, baby." The album continues with lyrics made for away messages and Myspace's. "Statues," is no different, "I'll send postcards to enemies, make sure to sign and date each one while saying 'Wish you were here.'" The lyrics on this CD are infectious, and you cannot stop yourself from singing along with the chanting.
By track thirteen you really don't want the CD to come to a stop, but with "On an On," it's a perfect way to end, and for you to hit repeat, of course. "On and On," is a beautiful song with amazing harmony as the boys slow things down one more time for the close. This track is actually my favorite on the CD, you can hear the potential and talent in the music and it grabs you with the repeating of "oh oh ohh's."
Overall, this CD was extremely impressive, I really feel like I need to find something wrong with it, but, I can't. I love this CD, it's a well put together album and after two years, and not knowing what the expect the boys come back, new album, new singer, new sound but at the same time it sounds better. "Skip Schools, Start Fights," will be the rest of your summer, get used to it. Oh, and if you're not catching them on the 18th and 19th with All Time Low, I'm sorry, really, because you're going to be missing an amazing show.
5 out of 5 [BS]