[yasr_overall_rating]
Fronted by the sultry voice of Lindsay Hightower and driven by her lyrics (with a little help from her friends), Hightower Band plays a confident set of tunes ranging in sound from earthy jazz to easy psychedelia. The many influences this band pulls from show up in bits and pieces throughout their freshman recording. The end result is an organic mix oozing sensuality and the sense of a soul teetering on the edge of the abyss. As I listened, I heard several familiar bits of sound reminiscent of Mazzy Star, Amy Winehouse, or even Enya on acid. They all come together to create an interesting sound unique from other bands populating North Texas’ club, pubs and bars. Here’s a track by track look at “Echo Spring”:
- “Echo Spring” – the title track takes its inspiration from Olivia Laing’s novel “Trip to Echo Spring,” which in turn borrows its title from a line in the play “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” This tune sways along with the swinging hips of a burlesque dancer. The jazz influence mixes nicely with its sensual tone.
- “Wandering Eye” – flows with strong guitar strums smacking of Tom Petty’s “You Don’t Know How It Feels”. The song works because of Lindsay’s voice and the unique elements at play around the background guitars.
- “Trying to Forget You” – Easily the most accessible track on the album, “Trying to Forget You” brings a touch of 70s pop to scene. It’s infused with simple, strong lyrics “I keep on trying to forget you/My heart remembers all I’ve been through” and a catchy melody which would fit nicely on Adult Alternative radio.
- “Love is a Light” – the strongest, most emotionally moving track on the record, this tune lays out the simple irony of love and love lost, how the emptiness left behind becomes the thing you live with instead of the loving relationship you once had. Hightower’s vocals give the listener a palpable sense of the pain such relationships bring.
- “Phantom Pains” – continues the theme of love lost with its grungy guitar work. Musically, this piece fills the room with surprising sounds and will easily carry the listener along on an angry trip. While Ms. Hightower’s vocals remain as smooth and sultry as ever, she lets loose a bit on this one while her band jams. Taylor Tatsch’s guitar work compels “Phantom Pains” into new territory, making it a uniquely interesting piece.
- “Tides” – shifts gears into a more melodic analogy of the sensual pleasures. Once again heightened by the true sexuality and desire inherent in its lyrics and reflected in Hightower’s sultry voice. She carries this one with an expressiveness few vocalists can match.
- “Rain in Sunshine” – draws on vivid imagery and analogy to demonstrate the difficulty of moving forward and healing from past pain and mistakes. One of the simpler, but more impactful tunes on the record.
- “Sugar in my Bowl” – a new take on Nina Simone’s hit rendition of an old Bessy Smith blues classic, Hightower takes the sound back in time a bit, giving pianist Thomas Woods a chance to shine. The atmosphere concludes this debut nicely, continuing its themes of sexuality and feminine leadership, especially in the bedroom.
Overall, “Echo Spring”, holds its own well, but suffers a bit from first album syndrome. The band and its leader know exactly where they want to take listeners. For the most part they’re successful. The lyrics are strong, the band itself complements one another well and Lindsay Hightower has a powerfully seductive voice. The only problem is it feels like they could do more, as if they’re restraining themselves for some reason and robbing the album of some energy it could have really hummed with. The production value is typical of a locally produced independent record, meaning there’s more background static than necessary and the mixing becomes uneven at times, with vocals drowning out the instrumentation at times and vice versa.
These issues aside, Hightower promises us a bright future with more fully realized music to come. They seem like a band just finding its way. However, when they do, I’ll want to be there enjoying the vibe.
