Album Review :
Hyland - Weights & Measures
By Eric Pettersson in Reviews | Comments closed
Artist: Hyland
Album: Weights & Measures
Label: Tooth & Nail Records
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Reviewer: Eric Pettersson
Tracklisting
- Jumping the Gun
- The One That Got Away
- This Distance
- Crying Out
- This Love Is Free
- Fireworks
- Heart to Life
- Never
- Til Death
- Desperate Man
- Downhill
- Coast to Coast
There’s been a lot of talk on this site lately about the shifting direction of Tooth & Nail Records. One reader saw Hyland’s new album announced and commented, saying that he wished T&N would stop signing pop-rock bands. Many have expressed nostalgia for the “good ol’ daze” of punk rock, though I can assure you that at any point in the label’s history, their roster has always been a mixed bag of incredible and forgettable artists. The question with each new band and each new album is not whether it lives up to the label’s past glory but which of those two categories it fits into. Will Hyland be the next Slick Shoes, or are they just another Mainstay? As with many of the bands that Tooth & Nail signs, it is still too early to tell. Many of their bands only develop into something special after two or three records, but many never quite get there. Weights & Measures shows signs of each.
The overall sound is what one might expect from a pop-rock band on Tooth & Nail, somewhere along the lines of The Fold or Run Kid Run. One of the first things you’ll notice is that the lyrics are more blatantly Christian than we’re used to hearing these days, which is something that will definitely draw in listeners to hear these stories of faith. Unfortunately, I thought the most interesting part of the record was Stephen Christian’s guest vocals on “The One That Got Away,” which he co-wrote, adding some Anberlin flair to this otherwise straightforward and not-at-all edgy release. But, the rest sounded better when I turned it up real loud and used it as background music while doing some work, so at least Hyland’s got that going for them.
Overall: It’s got a few good points, and sure it’s got potential, but overall Hyland’s debut is a rather boring, mediocre, and forgettable release. Those who digest the album on a lyrical level will surely get more out of it, though it’s hardly a standout on the current T&N roster, even with the help of Aaron Sprinkle and Stephen Christian.