Monday, November 19, 2012

HighMay - Few Downsides to The Upside

Approving nods tend to seem more deserved  when given in the direction of solo singer/songwriters gone band, more so than in cases of the opposite career order; certainly not always - but in many instances.  HighMay frontman James Atto is one such case in point.  While the work accomplished on his band's debut release The Upside, likely wouldn't have turned out sounding any different if packaged under Atto's name alone, you still tend to like hearing a strong songwriter play well with others.  Atto's fingerprints on Upside may stand out a little clearer than his cohorts' do, but credit remains to the band's ability to wholly manage the careful ebb and flow it takes to sound like a collective with personnel who all have their hearts in it.