Album Reviews

Hit The Lights is no longer the bouncy pop-punk band they were when they dropped “Skip School, Start Fights” four years ago. That much becomes clear as soon as opener “Invincible” kicks in with an intro that seems to be written with arenas in mind. It’s the sound of a band that still writes poppy tunes yet wants to be taken seriously.

Produced by Machine (Four Year Strong, Armor For Sleep, Cobra Starship) and Mike Sapone (Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Crime in Stereo), “Invicta” is an album that’s more mature than anything they’ve ever done before. Sure, the lyrical content still deals with finding out who you are, failed relationships and a whole mess of other pop-punk clichés that kids can sing along to in their bedrooms because well, parents just don’t understand. But the lyrics are wrapped up in songs that burst out of the speakers and that sound huge. If you let them these guys will hit you over the head with tons of oooohs and aaaahs that seem to be present and accounted for in every single epic anthem alongside dramatic-sounding drums, big choruses and some nice synth sounds. Check out first single “Gravity” and you’ll get a good idea of what the rest of “Invicta” sounds like.