American Hi-Fi – Fight The Frequency
August 17, 2010
If this review tends to be a little colored I will apologize in advance. I have been an American Hi-Fi fan right from the beginning and it’s hard for me to say anything bad about them, especially considering the enthusiasm I feel now that they are finally coming with a new release.
“Fight The Frequency” is the band’s 4th official studio release. They burst on the scene with a strong and solid debut album that featured the hit single Flavor of the Weak, followed by a different, more powerpop (with punk/rock influences) approach on “The Art of Losing” which was okay, but didn’t reach the level of the self-titled debut. The songwriting on “Hearts on Parade” was stronger again in my opinion, but I’m not entirely sure what it was, it wasn’t a lack of believability, but maybe they could’ve put a little more heart into that album. And I think that the production of that album didn’t make things better either.
Now on “Fight The Frequency” it feels like they are somewhere in between the debut & the latest release when it comes to the sound. But with a good production this time, the songs have a lot more room to flourish. While my heart might think otherwise, “Fight The Frequency” will not be the best release of the year, but I do think it’s safe to say that American Hi-Fi is right back where they belong, with an album that will most likely get them some radio exposure. The fun, free-spirited, energetic rock & roll that made me love this band in the first place can be found all over this album again.
With songs like This Is A Low, Lost and A Taste For Crime this feels like vintage American Hi-Fi. That is both the plus and the minus of this album. It’s recognizable, familiar, radio-friendly and has a good dose of rock & roll, but it really grabs back to previous arrangements the band has used on their previous albums. A little more variation would’ve made this album great instead of good. But regardless of that commentary, this album might become their well-deserved breakthrough, following up their 2001 hit single. And with added attention they will have an opportunity to grow further on a future album. Where Love Is A Lie, Acetate and Lookout For Hope have enormous radio potential, some of the other songs would lend themselves well for a radio single as well. But with songs like Keep It Like A Secret, Frat Clump, Stargazer and Bullet there is plenty of post-grunge rock & roll action to be heard as well.
With “Fight The Frequency” the band tries to remind the listener of their moment of fame in 2001 and I believe they might well be successful at it. The album is quite well-balanced and gives way for both sides of the band (the harder, more energetic post-grunge side vs. the radio-friendly mainstream pop/rock singles) to be showcased. A definitve comeback for American Hi-Fi? Not 100% sure, but I hope so, the band deserves it.
I rarely drop comments, however after looking at through a few
of the comments on Review: American Hi-Fi – Fight The
Frequency | Inner Ear Media. I do have a
few questions for you if it’s okay. Is it only me or do a few of the
remarks appear like they are coming from brain dead
people? 😛 And, if you are writing at other places, I’d like
to keep up with anything fresh you have to post. Would you list of the complete urls of all your social pages like
your Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile?
I haven’t heard too many comments or remarks on either the album or my review of it. Sadly it seems like the album drifted off in a cloud of anonymity. Having said that, people can have their opinions, that’s fine by me. If I like something they won’t change it and I feel it’s the other way around as well. It’s not for those people I write reviews, I write reviews for people who’d like to (re)discover music or who would like to hear another opinion on a band, song, album, etc. There are plenty of people who appreciate that and if they don’t, they are in no way obligated to read it.
As for recent posts, Inner Ear Media hasn’t been operating much and neither have I, when it comes to music blogging.The projection is that in the summer of 2014, Inner Ear Media will come with a full makeover and relaunch and new set up that includes more interaction with both the musicians and the readers as to make it more dynamic and interesting, but since everything is still in the planning stages it’s hard to put a solid date on that.
As far as social media links. You can search for Inner Ear Media on twitter, facebook and lastFM, there are corresponding profiles, however those aren’t active either at the moment.
Keep listening to music you feel you have a connection with and don’t let other people tell you otherwise. If you enjoy it, it is your right!
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