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Prospect Hill

Impact

 

Derek Rousseau – Lead Guitar

Adam Fithian - Vocals

 Mark Roberge - Drums

Edgar Troncoso – Bass

John Roberge - Rhythm Guitar

 

Prospect Hill is a five piece band hailing from a small town outside of Boston. Named after a neighborhood, the guys have worked non-stop for the last few years. The band put out some independent albums on their own while playing hand-me-down instruments. Prospect Hill has played with some big name acts that came through their area as well as earning the Best Underground Act award from High Times and performed at SxSW in 2010. Their newest release, Impact, features 11 tracks that spread 38 minutes and gets going with “Townie.” The tune opens up with an interesting intro before the vocals come strolling in. The song is a little reserved. The vocals are set back (both the lead and the backing) while the tunes offer much of the same tone. I’m not sure this is the ideal track to lead the album off with. The lack of energy and intensity will have you a bit somber after it. “Life Goes On” turns some of that stuff around. The tune offers up a bit more energy and the vocals step up some. This track is easier to get into with a faster tempo and a more involved sound. The guitars are solid while the drums strike up a great beat. The vocals are the key in this one. With them stepping up to the forefront and taking control a bit more the song sound stronger. The track definitely puts them in the right direction. “Superhero” offers up some of the highest and drawn out notes that you will hear. The vocals are super clear and wear their emotion right out on their sleeves. The music follows on their heels as this song is a cohesive unit. The passion filled tune will have hands flying high in the air while the crowd is closing their eyes and soaking up every word. It’s a dynamic track. “Say Uncle” is just an instrumental that actually would work well as an intro to a show or coming out of a break. “Come Alive” kicks up the energy in the intro, but then backs off as the first verse came in. They then kick it back up for the chorus. The music is awesome sounding with a couple effects flittering about. The vocals are clear and easy to pick up. This is a top notch track. It sounds solid and will have you hitting the repeat button. “Roller Coaster” wastes little time in getting the vocals involved, however they are hard to hear. They are little muffled. The music is okay. There really isn't much that will keep you coming back. There is a little guitar solo that helps and spots of the lyrics are catchy, but other than that there isn't much holding you there. “Reflections” is a passionate sounding track with nice vocals and elegant music. The tune is a hidden gem, but it’s not going to stay that way for long. It has nearly everything that it needs to be a star. The vocals are pretty clear while the lyrics hold a deep meaning. It’s a great tune. “Break Down” is another slower track with crisp vocals and an amazing sound. The music is super smooth and will have you closing your eyes. The guitars are great while the drums drive the track. You can lose yourself in this track. “Rescued” speeds the album back up. It’s not the fastest thing you will ever hear, but it’s faster than most of the tunes on the album. The sound of the track is solid. You can easily get into the vibe of the track. The vocals are good as well. They include some gang vocals as well as true backing vocals. They offer up some descent lyrics that you can easily sing along with. It moves the record along quite well. “Time” opens up with a killer intro, but they seem to lose it a little when the vocals come in. There are parts of the track that sound really good, but others seem a bit mashed up. It’s a middle of the pack track to me. “Reach” wraps up the album with a descent track that offers up more gang vocals and some rocking guitars. The drums also strike hard, but it’s the vocals track. They are pretty clear and you can easily follow along with them. They offer up some solid lyrics that I think some fans will attach to. Overall this new record from Prospect Hill isn't bad. There are true gems throughout the album and I can see them doing great things. There are however, some others that just seem like fillers. Those tracks just seem to be missing something, whether it is some recording issues or just that spark that it needs to get off the ground. The vocals seem to be the key more so for this album than others. There are a few tracks that have great vocals and they sounded better. The ones that are rough vocally have some issues. The opening track is a key example. Musically the record is solid. There are a few lulls, but overall it’s good. I’d like to hear a bit more energy, but their sound is distinctive and that’s the key. I can hear some positive movement in what this album has to offer

 

Rating: 7 out of 10

Tracks to Watch:

Superhero, Come Alive, Reflections

 

Track List:

  1. Townie
  2. Life Goes On
  3. Superhero
  4. Say Uncle
  5. Come Alive
  6. Roller Coaster
  7. Reflections
  8. Breakdown
  9. Rescued
  10. Time
  11. Reach

Website (s):  www.facebook.com/prospecthill

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