Higgins

The other night, after spending the day listening to Straight A's, the gorgeous new album from Higgins, I sat in bed trying to fall asleep for 2 plus hours while the opening chords from Paranoid Trails bounced around and caressed the inside of my skull meat. I rolled over, looked at the clock which read 2 A.M. and giggled with delight. I just managed to spend an additional two hours with these charming and semi hairy pricks.

Straight A's is the kind of album that attaches itself to your subconscious and unlike the type of tripe that often finds its way in there, it actually makes your day better, makes your man breasts more supple and your glow stick will chub up.

It is a damn near perfect indie pop album. Higgins has stumbled on a sound that manages to mine the best elements of Ben Folds, Steely Dan, Squeeze, the charming darkness of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes and the essence of Paige McConnell's piano genius on those early Phish albums; and tie it all together into a delicious sampling that is as gorgeous as it is original and arousing.

I really think that behind those teen idol good looks Kevin Fish might be a fucking genius. His songs have a way of easing up beside you, putting their hand in your pocket and "accidentally" touching it. It leaves you thinking about him and his music and what it all meant for the next few days. It is so familiar and comfortable yet all together a new listening experience. His voice is warm and easy, with a laid back approach to its devastation. He can convey soul crushing agony with the delicate precision of a surgeon or revel in the simple joys with the giddiness of Del after 7 whippets.

He is masterful.

The song writing on Straight A's is expert, it is the best of Higgins career.

Dripping with charm and elegance, it swings when it should swing, cooks when it should cook and cuddles when it finished up on you. With Straight A's Higgins should make the leap, in a lot of ways it feels like a career defining album, the album that will make those who have been sleeping clamor for the back catalog in an attempt to catch up with the rest of us miserable assholes who spend our lives mining music for the moments like Straight A's.