Alongside these formidable musical chops, the band also boast a genuinely arresting vocalist. Yes, the improbably named Jimmy Wizard serves up piercing screams, but more interesting is his use of airy melodies, particularly on Lost In Static. And that’s before we mention his lyrics. Things get pretty dark, with songs like Low Season casting him as a spectator of his own unravelling; more often than not, this is one particular Jimmy that feels like he’s getting eaten by the world. ‘I’m losing to myself more,’ he sings again and again towards the end of Passenger, as the song simmers down before one final, brilliant explosion. It’s a genuinely stunning moment: an ice-cold realisation working away amid all the burning noise surrounding it.
To say, then, that Higher Power have transcended their genre is to state the obvious (not that there’s anything wrong with just being a straight-up hardcore band). But the honest truth is that they are doing things here that few bands in any genre are really doing. Perhaps the best case in point is Staring At The Sun. Here we have a brilliant, bruising song… about a dog. And why the hell not? In a world full of identikit tunes, why not write about the stablising and therapeutic power of animals during times of emotional duress? It stands out. And so do the band that created it.
Such has been the level and speed of their growth and maturation here, it wouldn’t be surprising if Higher Power go on to make a better album than this next time they hit the studio. But as for making a more important one for their career? This will be incredibly tough to beat.
Verdict: 4/5