Review: Blake Mills - Heigh Ho
By Haadiza Ogwude, Contributor
[Verve; 2014]
Rating: 3/10
Key Tracks: “Silence is Sincerity,” “Shed Your Head”
Blake Mills is a California based singer-songwriter who recently released his sophomore album, Heigh Ho. He has worked with many notable artists in the music industry such as The Avett Brothers and Neil Diamond, so news of his release was exciting. However, the album proved to be the exact opposite.
Heigh Ho is so mellow that it is flat out boring. “Half Asleep,” a song about a woman having doubts about the relationship she's in, put me all the way to sleep. The track begins with a plentitude of acoustic guitar and violin; things seem optimistic, but as the song grows in length, it becomes increasingly more boring. Mills’ constant humming is a recipe for slumber. The only praise I can give the track is for its well-written lyrics.
Lead single “Don’t Tell Our Friends About Me” is about a man who ruined his relationship and is begging his partner to keep quiet and not tell their friends. He reiterates the lines, “I know I fucked up / I know I fucked up,” throughout the song. The entire album revolves around breakups. Mills’ redundancy is a contributing factor of the album’s overall weakness. Nobody wants to listen to an album that constantly whines about a the one who got away.
Somewhat surprisingly, the instrumental tracks were the best part of the album. It’s either the absence of whiny, pathetic lyrics or the missing groaning and humming that really make these tracks enjoyable. Another song with merit is “If I’m Unworthy,” an incredibly emotional track. Mills truly demonstrates his vocal talent in this song and employs a bluesy style.
There is no doubt in my mind that Blake Mills is a talented musician, but this album was simply depressing and superfluous. It did not come close to living up to the potential possessed by Mills. I don’t know who hurt him, but they really did a number on him and his music definitely took a hit.
