darrenlamb45

I was very skeptical of this album given the mediocrity of "The Midnight Demon Club" and the disastrous "MCID." Nonetheless, I think I can say that Highly Suspect is back, sort of. "As Above, So Below" sounds like a more mature, polished version of "Mister Asylum" and "The Boy Who Died Wolf." That being said, there aren't any tracks that captivated me like "Mister Asylum," "Lydia," "Bloodfeather," "Fuck Me ... read more

"Big Ideas" is an entertaining, eclectic mix of dance-pop and raucous choruses. For me, the obvious standouts are "Toro," "Alone in Miami," and "Wave" which all possess sing-along-able, studium-ready energy. All of these songs blend alt-pop and R&B well, no song really sounds like a copy of another. I've already found myself revisiting this album numerous times with the three aforementioned tracks sticking out the most.

Absolutely enchanting. The impassioned vocals, the melodies, the lyrics, the soul-ladened backing vocals. Everything here just strikes a chord with me that I cannot quite explain. To me, that's a sign a musician did a wonderful job. While there is not a song I necessarily dislike, my highlights are as follows:

Jackie and Wilson, Someone New, From Eden, Work Song, Foreigner's God, Cherry Wine [Live]

I thoroughly enjoy this album. While it's not an album that is consistently in rotation, it always hits the spot whenever I put it on. Mayer's voice is especially charming and soothing. He's also a great guitar player and his songs are just downright catchy. Plus, he also makes me feel like I'm in every romantic comedy film from like 2004 to 2009 which is a plus simply for nostalgia.