Review Summary: High Flight Society soars in skies far above its CCM peers.
Every so often, there comes a group of artists that, for reasons pertaining to business, marketing, or politics, never really gets the chance to gain the exposure that they truly deserve. With a discography spanning only two EPs and one full-length album and containing a mere 21 tracks, High Flight Society is a Christian rock band that has seen far more trouble than most bands see in much lengthier careers. Despite having a single album tossed among three failing labels, this is a rock band of the highest caliber, and their self-titled album is abundant proof of this.
If there is one word I could use to describe
High Flight Society, it would be
discontent. Frontman and guitarist Jason Wilkes seems
discontent to keep his vocals within a safe, comfortable range; his has a fragile, boyish quality that strains in ragged edges of his range without once breaking down. Lead gutarist Michael Packer seems
discontent to nail down one or two solid riffs in each song and instead moves around the fretboard with unusual frequency. Late drummer Scotty Lockridge and bassist John Packer seem
discontent with keeping to straight, simplistic rhythm by choosing to explore the syncopated limits of each song's timing. As a whole, it's a post-punk rock album that consistently punches above its weight class - and does so with great success.
From the muscular opening riff of the gutsy "Time Is Running Out" to the heavy hitting closure of "Get By,"
High Flight Society is an almost unrelenting ride through some of CCM's greatest and most authentic rock and roll. It is also a quite lengthy ride despite its eleven track run time - every last song runs significantly over three minutes. Is it preachy? Yes - quite so; but it also feels genuine and passionate. With song titles like "Sweet Redeemer," and "I Will Follow You," it would be easy to assume that this is a church-ready ballad-fest, but nothing could be further from the truth. The former includes some seriously chunky guitar harmonies that graze the edge of metal while the latter relies on some clever chord progressions and extremely catchy melodies. "Wake Up" has Wilkes speaking out against hypocrisy with conviction ("Drop the front and tell me why / you sell illusion / confusion") with a backdrop of irregular time signatures and a fantastic closing guitar solo. The band admits struggling with doubts in the melodic rocker "Learn to Let Go" and follows with an unflinching statement of faith in the punkish "What's Wrong." Slower tracks like "Declaration" and "Escaping" are no less forward, but are equally heavy hitting in terms of musical quality. What is more is that none of these songs sound the same; they all are consistently produced and have the same overall quality about them, but each song gains its own identity through excellent melodies and widely varying musical motifs. This is certainly not an album for those who are offended by very direct and forward references to God and to faith, but with the majority of talented self-proclaimed Christian rock acts lacing their music with references to intentionally vague and disingenuous morality, the bluntness and honesty of High Flight Society's faith is refreshing when paired with their undeniable skill and equally blunt and honest rock and roll.
High Flight Society is simply an unapologetic and unpretentious rock album that consistently refuses to play in the safe middle-ground of quasi-Christian radio rock. It sounds less like a project developed by a label's marketing department and more like a project developed by individuals who share a common conviction and who all have astounding levels of tightly interwoven talent. The result is a mature debut from a band who will never get the opportunity to share more of their collective artistry with the world - but it is no less than a collection of songs that far supersedes many of their peers with longer, more successful careers. High flight, indeed.
