It’s been almost four years and a couple of EPs since HIT THE LIGHTS released ‘Skip School, Start Fights’ and it wouldn’t be unfair to say that ‘Invicta’ should be one of the most anticipated albums of 2012.
First of all, it needs to be said that this is in no way a continuation of ‘Skip Schools, Start Fights’. This isn’t a pop punk record. In the four years since it was released, HIT THE LIGHTS have matured musically, and first song ‘Invincible’ sets the tone for the whole album. It’s massive and effective in what it tries to do, unlike the incredibly weak ‘Earthquake’ – a song that tries to be big but never quite reaches the heights it tries so hard to reach.
It’s clear throughout that HIT THE LIGHTS have put a lot of effort into ‘Invicta’, unfortunately they could be accused of overdoing it, as for every complete corker (‘Float Through Me’), there’s a song that sounds a bit like a Coldplay B side (‘So Guilty’), and while they are doing the whole pop rock thing pretty well, they’ve lost a lot of the appeal found in pop punk roots, and that in turn is going to split their fan base right down the middle.
‘Invicta’ is a pop rock record that probably could have done with being a track or two shorter. Taken as a single entity, it’s a good listen but ultimately it’s a disappointing progression from their last album.
CHRIS MARSHMAN