Hawthorne Heights
Lost Lights


4.0
excellent

Review

by bellovddd USER (56 Reviews)
September 11th, 2023 | 22 replies


Release Date: 09/08/2023 | Tracklist

Review Summary: I burned up my youth playing it loose. Just trying to survive

Self-reflection is a hell of a thing. Especially when that self-reflection is brought on because of aging. I do not fear growing old, why fear something that is inevitable? I am not a doctor (shocking) so I do not have that answer, all that I have are my own feelings and the music that I surround myself with.

Hawthorne Heights are growing old. They have been doing this music thing for the better part of 20 years and love them or hate them, it’s nice to see a band grow and adapt over the years whilst still staying true to what made them a band in the first place. ‘Lost Lights’ is a self-reflective look at what the band has achieved, but in true Hawthorne fashion it’s a look at what was lost and what the costs were along the way.

At 5 tracks Hawthorne throw everything that make them Hawthorne at the wall and most of the time, it sticks. Opener ‘The Storm’ has some great back and forth vocals from JT and unclean vocalist Mark. Mark really puts a larger stamp on this release, providing uncleans on all tracks and his sounding a lot nicer, less muffled and layered. ‘Empty’ comes across as a B-side off ‘Yellowcards’ ‘Ocean Ave’ (minus the violins) and ‘We Were Never Lost’ has a nice little dueling guitar part and a ‘galloping’ beat that is something new that Hawthorne have welcomed here.

Hawthorne will always be Hawthorne. JT is going to complain about things in his trademark ‘nasally’ vocal style, but he does it in a more mature and graceful way now. The whole band has grown immensely and maybe it’s my nostalgic eyes, but I have grown with them. ‘Lost Lights’ isn’t a ground-breaking, genre defying release, but it is a reminder that the bands I/We grew up with still have plenty left to offer.



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user ratings (21)
3.5
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
bellovddd
September 11th 2023


5802 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

i'll always love hawthorne.

RadioNew03
September 11th 2023


185 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

This band holds a special place in my heart all those years ago and they’re still going strong!!

Feather
September 11th 2023


10111 Comments


This was a nice little ep and that is a nice little review for this. Felt a bit by the numbers classic HH, but thats not a bad thing.

bloc
September 11th 2023


70026 Comments


Eh why the hell not, I'll check this out

bellovddd
September 11th 2023


5802 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

DO IT! its a nice little EP

karpatfalvi
September 12th 2023


202 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Surprisingly good EP, and the length of it is the key. Happy to listen to a couple of throwback songs every now and then, but as it ended it I've realised it's exactly as much as I needed, not more or less.



By the way I only listened to it on my Mac's built in speakers and it sounded really good, can't wait to use some proper headphones

bellovddd
September 12th 2023


5802 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

their last couple of release have all been at this level i think. Enjoy, its a really fun listen this one!

AffableMartyr
September 12th 2023


810 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Some catchy little tunes on here

bellovddd
September 12th 2023


5802 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

empty is super catchy on here!

jslavos
September 13th 2023


47 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Catchy tunes, this format of releasing individual songs and then putting them on a EP seems to be working for the Hawthorne dudes.



The Storm + Empty are the current faves, but all 5 songs hold up!

bellovddd
September 13th 2023


5802 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

yep sure has. I believe they do have a full length coming out soon enough as well

Feather
September 13th 2023


10111 Comments


Just realized I get to see these guys at Riot this weekend!

bellovddd
September 13th 2023


5802 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

nice!!! I haven't seen them live in about 15 years so I am jealous haha

bloc
September 14th 2023


70026 Comments


ngl Dandelions does slap

bellovddd
September 14th 2023


5802 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

yep. chorus is glorious.

henryChinaski
September 18th 2023


5016 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

oh shit this got a review? Nice!



This rules hard. Love every song except for Empty, which is still decent.

Feather
September 18th 2023


10111 Comments


The band sounded great live at Riot Fest. I will say its a bit embarrassing that the singer went on a long rant about how they want to be "the emo grateful dead" and that we are all "emo dead heads".

bellovddd
September 18th 2023


5802 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

ye JT eats up the whole emo thing. to be fair they have been doing it for over 20 odd years so probably going to ride that wave for as long as they can haha

Feather
September 19th 2023


10111 Comments


I know this because he included in one of his several rants that "the band had all promised one another that they would never break up."

The short ~7 song set was absolutely perfect though. Just the right amount before their schtick starts getting VERY repetitive. This band has a great sound, but it all sounds the same when you are listening to it back to back (whether it be a new song or old song)

bellovddd
September 19th 2023


5802 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

variation is not something Hawthorne do but what they do, they do well!



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