EP Review: High Visions – A First Date With Imposter Syndrome

INiiT Records have announced that the latest EP from the skate-punk-meets-hardcore trio High Visions will be available everywhere from the 26th June on CD and digital formats. The “A First Date With Imposter Syndrome” EP follows on from their previous releases, 2017’s “Waving The White Flag” and 2018’s “Passerby“, and is fuelled by the frustration of the band members living in all corners of the country, being let down by those closest to them and the sense of not belonging in their musical communities. The “A First Date With Imposter Syndrome” EP contains five tracks that blend elements of Skate Punk, Hardcore, Emo and Post-Hardcore and a Pop Punk sheen.

“A First Date With Imposter Syndrome” kicks off with the singles ‘Checkpoint Charlie’ and ‘When I’m Dead, Just Throw Me In the Trash’, both of which do exactly what a single is supposed to do, they hook you straight into the EP with both tracks balancing the competing elements of hard edged pop punk and melodic hardcore perfectly. “Anywhere // Anyone” veers deeper into hyperactive pop punk and possesses a suitably infectious chorus, in contrast ‘Isolated, Unstable and Disillusioned‘ is, somewhat unsurprisingly, a darker and less frantic emo tinged affair the builds to an epic metal tinged climax. The EP’s final track “My True North” is the most thoughtful and introspective moment on the EP, that is until the halfway mark when High Visions up the decibels to bring “A First Date With Imposter Syndrome” to a riotous close.

High Visions have delivered an EP that has it’s roots in pop punk, but this is not the chart friendly happy bouncy pop punk, the lyrical content and competing influences in the soundtrack ensure that this is not just another pop punk band, High Visions might have have moved away from the rawer sound of the previous EP’s, an evolution that was hinted at on on “Passerby“, with a more considered approach and polished sound. The “A First Date With Imposter Syndrome” EP is a more reflective and mature release than their previous releases, a lot has changed in the last two years, but change is not a bad thing and if this is your first encounter with High Visions I doubt it will be your last.

“A First Date With Imposter Syndrome” can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp here