Search - Hit the Lights :: This Is a Stick Up: Don't Make It a Murder

A pop/punk album full of summer albums

Brett D. Jackson | Lexvegas, KY | 04/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"April 11th couldn't have come any sooner. Even though it is the spring, this album was made for the summer. From the moment The Call Out (You are the Dishes) comes out with spoken word to the end of Make a Run for It, this album was made for bright, sunny days with fun lyrics. You really can't help but smile when the chorus plays of each song. If I had to relate these guys to any bands specifically, I'd say the singer sounds like Jordan from New Found Glory at times, and/or Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy. I would still say that he has his own sound from those guys, but you can see SOME similarities. The point of this album to me is that it is for the summer, as stated. This CD will stay in my rotation for a very long time, and it's a fun album with fun lyrics, hooks, and riffs. It's a 5/5 for sure. Give this album a try!"

Almost As Good As It Gets For Pop Punk

LeftManOut | TheCityThatNeverSleeps, FL | 09/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ever since the day I picked up "This Is A Stickup... Don't Make It A Murder" nearly six months ago, it has been in constant rotation from my cd collection. Now of course Hit The Lights are not innovating the pop-punk sound that is already known and has been established for quite a few years now, but along with a handful of other bands (My American Heart, The Audition, Paramore), they are helping to call attention back to a genre that seems to have been losing relevance lately. I guarantee if you have been looking for an album chock full of sing-a-long style choruses, catchy melodies and plenty of upbeat, rocking songs, then you should rush yourself to your local record store and get your hands on a copy of this album.



The New Found Glory comparisons are kind of accurate (although there's not much that would link the two bands together in overall sound), but it doesn't necessarily mean you must be a NFG fan to enjoy this record. On the contrary, Hit The Lights do an adequate job of making it their own duty to convert fans. Beginning with "Call Out (You Are The Dishes)" the power chords ring and the band kicks into full throttle. Most pop-punk bands in today's time seem to be taking on this "semi-dark" lyrical style (things dealing with subtle violence or darker metaphors for heartbreak and betrayal), and Hit The Lights is no different, although they do a nice job of keeping it more positive than negative. If songs about Girls and breakups isn't for you, don't bother giving this disc a spin. The orchestration perfectly fits the words, as most songs are upbeat and come complete with great drumming and guitar playing. Not overly spectacular, but impressive none-the-less. The leads on "Three on Nine" are simple yet effective, and the riffing on "Until We Get Caught" is very enjoyable. "These Backs Are Made For Stabbing" and "Talk Us Down" are probably the album's two best tracks.



My biggest complaint about the record though is that the I-tunes track, "Stick Up" was not included on the album. It is by far better than any song found on the actual cd (hard to believe about a b-side huh?), and I'm still quite puzzled as to why it didn't make it onto the final product. If you can find it, I highly recommend downloading that track. I'm pretty sure you will not be disappointed by it, especially if you like what this disc has to offer.



Overall what the album lacks in diversity, it makes up for with great song writing. It's not perfect, and there may be a couple filler songs, but this is still a highly enjoyable release. You'd be far removed to find many better pop-punk albums that were released in 2006 than "This Is A Stick Up... Don't Make It A Murder". Fans of My American Heart, The Audition, Paramore or anything similar would definitely do well to look into these guys. They've haven't tread down a new path just yet, but given the opportunity to grow, I'm confident these guys could become one of the premier bands in their respected genre."

Short on substance, but enjoyable

LeftManOut | 07/09/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"So, in case you haven't noticed, HTL is probably going to be the next fall out boy/new found glory pop-punk megahit. Their music is littered with hooks, injected with energy waiting to be danced/moshed to by pop-punkers everywhere. It would seem that with the ammount of new school punkers "maturing", a new band would steer clear of a somewhat generic sound, but HTL don't seem to care, because nothing about their debut screams "original" or "mature". I agree with the reviewer who compaired 'stick up' to 'sticks and stones'. The lead singer sounds ALOT like nfg's jordan pundik, and 'these backs were made for stabbing', along with a bunch of other tracks, sound like they were ripped from the nfg playbook. So, I guess if you enjoyed "Take this to your grave", "Sticks and stones" or ever "Chroma", you'll for sure like "stick up". If not, don't even bother, cuz' there's nothing here for a non pop-punk fan"