proficiency. Whatever it is, I can’t think of a single reason why everyone shouldn’t listen to Sullivan’s new album.

 

Heavy is the Head starts off with “You Don’t Mean It,” a song that may begin all synth-tastic and calm but quickly delves into powerhouse territory. The first thirty-seconds are okay—the vocals remind me of Ben Gibbard and the rest of the music supports the singing nicely. But then everything explodes into awesome as soon as they hit the lyrics, “Saying you don’t mean it doesn’t always make it right/ Play it on repeat’s the quickest way to start a fight.” Front man Brooks Paschal shows off his vocal prowess in this portion, and the lyrics are poignant. The way this musical line ends is surprising and delightful. The harmony at the end of these two lines works so well with the instrumentation and main vocals—it adds a resonating levels and makes this part stand out as the crux of the song.

 

The first single off the album, “What’s Good for the King,” is equally fantastic. It starts slow and psychedelic—think the opening for “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”—and then becomes a pixilated planetarium lullaby. The imagery in all of Sullivan’s songs is incredible, but it’s evident in this song especially. Lyrics like “There’s no more bread and the water’s grown salty/There’s rust in the pipes and the plants have turned brown/The phone’s off the hook and the leaves they float in the pool” help to build this image of a decaying suburban home, which mirrors the decay of the family it holds. While the opening of this piece is light and airy, the chorus smashes its way in. It exemplifies that which this band does so incredibly well: loudness. Some bands attempt loudness and then find themselves lost in the noise. Sullivan can handle soaring chords, heavy bass, thundering drums, and booming vocals. Each instrument contributes to this one pleasing collective but each section can hold its own as well. What also stands out is Sullivan’s attention to details. Whether it’s a single note or a word, each seems so carefully chosen. In the lyrics, when the father is described as having “Lidocaine eyes,” just the decision to have Lidocaine, an anesthetic also used to treat abnormal heart rhythms, contributes so heavily to the image and the story this song is telling.

 

In many of the songs, I find myself drawn to the vocals instinctively. It’s easy to do so when you’re listening to a phenomenal singer like Paschal. However, in “Higher Ground,” I found myself focusing on the instruments, especially in the few opening lines. When the guitar, played by either Tyson Shipman or Jeremy Stanton, first starts, it reminds me of an early Incubus. It sounds all deep, murky, and mysterious. It immediately draws you into this song and makes you want to follow the instrumentation the whole way through. You can appreciate the way each member handles their instrument with care, undivided attention, and extraordinary power. Phil Chamberlain, the drummer, never misses a beat and always carries this energy throughout the song. Zach Howard adds depth to each musical moment. The guitarists and Paschal on vocals kill it every time, whether they’re soft, like at the beginning of the song, or going all out, like through the chorus.

 

There are a lot of bands you could say Sullivan sounds like on Heavy is the Head—My Chemical Romance, The Killers, The Beatles, Incubus, etc. But Sullivan takes all of these influences and the history of their genre, as any good band does, and creates their own sound. If you look at pictures of Sullivan in concert, it’s plain to see how hard these guys work. But listening to the music, it all sounds so effortless—like they can just breathe out good fucking music. I know Heavy is the Head came out after a seven year hiatus, so here’s hoping this band sticks together and continues to make more amazing albums.