Higher Giant – The First Five

According to their album description, New York/Philadelphia’s newly formed Higher Giant represents the collaboration of former members of Kid Dynamite, Lifetime, Grey Area, Warzone, The Arsonsand Token Entry.  Wow, what a spread.  Other than Lifetime and Kid Dynamite, I had never even heard of half of those bands until now.  But a quick research session later and a general feel started revealing itself.  With the exception of Lifetime‘s nasally vocals, many of the bands have a scruffy, New York City hardcore feel to them – with the exception of Token Entry and Warzone, which have a decidedly sloppier vocal delivery.  That being said, one might conclude that Higher Giant would be a pretty gruff band.

In actuality, the band’s debut EP, The First Five, sounds like a combination of The Methadones and The Bouncing Souls.  Much like East Coast staples The Bouncing Souls and H2O, vocalist Ernie Parada has a sweeping delivery that seemingly drags each line’s final word into oblivion.  Songs like “Dangerous” and “Friday the 13th” also feature familiar backing “woahs.”  But Parada’s voice has a higher pitched quality that makes such a comparison merely reminiscent of these influences.  Another point of departure can be found in songs like “The Dealer,” where the band inserts a lengthy, well placed guitar solo into the bridge.  The solo showcases the band’s instrumental proficiency, suggesting a possible focus for future releases.

I only really have two minor complaints with the EP.  Firstly, it’s only an EP, clocking in at a short sixteen minutes spread over five tracks.  The short length means that the moments of experimentation and creativity, while the undeniable high lights of the EP, are indeed sparse.  Given more tracks the band likely could have afforded more time at developing their unpredictable and exciting side.  Secondly, by making his voice emulate H2O and The Bouncing Souls‘ steadfast yell at a higher pitch, Parada’s voice can become tiresome, or even grating.  Incorporating a greater frequency of backing vocals would likely help relieve this minor gripe.

Minor issues aside, The First Five introduce Higher Giant as a “supergroup” with great potential.  For their next album, the band will have to determine which influences will dominate their tracks, and ultimately define their style.  But for now, The First Five serves as an enjoyable launching pad.