Band: Highbeams
Album/Release Date: Everything Aside (October 2nd, 2015)
From: Woodstock, Georgia
Genre: Acoustic Rock, Folk Rock, Alternative Rock
For Fans Of: Dave Matthews Band, Owen, Jack Johnson
Top Tracks: Tybee, Love Is Gone, Little Arms, Home In The Holler
Just in time for the leaves to change colors, the Woodstock based trio Highbeams release their sophomoric Folk Rock album, Everything Aside, a quintessential album for the autumn time. Everything Aside combines Acoustic Folk Rock songwriting with a raw and honest performance from all of the performers. Following their 2014 debut album One Word, the musically passionate trio has released their latest installment of feel good, emotive compositions.
Everything Aside features compositions ranging from feel good alternative rock to emotive, unhurried acoustic ballads. Where standout upbeat tracks such as “Love Is Gone” and “Home In The Holler” raise the pace of the album, songs such as “Little Arms” and “Our Little Lies” utilize colorful, emotive fingerpicking passages to bring the album musical relaxation, creating a solid ebb and flow of emotions song to song. The album showcases an honest lyrical and melodic vocal selection, which is complimented by a moving rhythm section. The album’s cohesiveness in both production and composition is apparent from the opening track through to the final moments. Whereas many artist releases are often overproduced and the instruments are separately tracked, Highbeams’ latest release retains an organic production that gives the impression that they recorded together. Although the compositions mostly rely on acoustic guitar, bass, drums and vocals with some light extra instrumentation, the tracks do not leave the listener yearning for a fuller sound. The instruments do a stellar job at filling the entire sonic space.
Highbeams’ Everything Aside is an album for the changing of the seasons, drinking hot cocoa next to the fire with loved ones, or just enjoying the music created by a trio of honest, emotive musicians.
Rating: 4/5
Three brothers with true passion for music. Highbeams began in 2012 writing dozens of songs and performing them live anywhere they could. In 2014 they captured their feel good, folk rock sound with their debut album “ONE WORD”, recorded in their own home studio, and began touring throughout the Southeast. Before long, they were drawing larger audiences and opening for national acts like Vertical Horizon and Chase Bryant. In the year since their albums release, Highbeams has grown ever closer to becoming the band it was always envisioned to be, and is making the most of every opportunity to grow, perform, and share their dream with the world. With a more focused approach, they recorded “Everything Aside” over the summer of 2015, releasing October 2nd.
Highbeams are Adam Pendlington, Ian Pendlington, and Stephen Quinn.
