REVIEW: Sullivan – ‘Heavy Is The Head’

December 16th, 2014

Kriston McConnell

Artist: Sullivan
Album: Heavy Is The Head
Genre: Alt. rock
Label: Spartan Records

To the excitement of many fans, including some of us here at UTG, Sullivan announced the end of their hiatus, as well as details for a new full-length album. They were officially on hiatus for seven years, starting in 2007. During that time they did self-release an acoustic EP featuring songs from their previous work, but at the time they did not make public any plans to get back together. Lucky for us though, they did decide to release some brand new music, and I think it’s going to be something that many people will find themselves enjoying.

Heavy Is The Head starts off strong with one of the best tracks on the album, titled “You Don’t Mean It.” The song is only a small introduction of what you can expect to hear from the band. It’s melodic and has over-the-top theatrical lyrics that pack some serious punches. The next track is “Where The Pavement Meets The Road.” It’s another solid track with a fast-paced tempo that will get you tapping your toes right from the get-go.

“What’s Good For The King” is one of the songs the band premiered before the album was released, and is the reason I knew the album would be stellar. Though this song isn’t necessarily a sad one, it definitely has some darkness and cynicism weaved into it. All of the songs have a hint of darkness to them in varying degrees. “Statuette” is one example of that. While on the surface it sounds like an upbeat track, if you listen to what they are really saying it paints a darker picture than what the tempo may suggest.

The penultimate track is “Seagrams.” This isn’t so much of a song as it is a poem. It’s short, but the words are heavy nonetheless. Alone this track isn’t much, but in context with the rest of the tracks it fits perfectly; heavy, dark and cynical.

I usually like to pick a favorite track off an album, but it’s difficult to choose one on this release. All of the songs have something great to offer. If I did have to pick one favorite though, it would have to be “Melenoma Lullaby.” I have always said that one of the most important parts of a song is the lyrical content, which is what draws me to this song. This is one of their more theatrical sounding tracks, which makes it even more endearing. The words have a hint of desperation and regret.

The band’s greatest asset is their lyricism. Frontman, Brooks Paschal, expertly executes his parts, so the lyrics are what stand out the most throughout each track. The guitars and drums do not overwhelm the vocals at any point, and while on their own they aren’t particularly mesmerizing, they do offer the perfect amount of support for the vocalist.

Heavy Is The Head offers up a surprising amount of diversity. Paschal has a spectacular voice and he is the reason you will stay engaged the entire album. His vocal range is pretty impressive, and I couldn’t possibly imagine any other voice singing the unique lyrics the band crafted for this record. It’s obvious they haven’t been sitting on their asses all these years, and their sound has improved by leaps and bounds. This album should make old fans happy, and bring in plenty of new fans, too. If anything is going to put this band on the map it’s going to be this release.

SCORE: 9/10
Review written by Kriston McConnell