Hawthorne Heights - If Only You Were Lonely

[Tony Pascarella]

Hawthorne Heights - If Only You Were Lonely
Release Date: February 28, 2006
Label: Victory Records

There are two overly weak aspects of Hawthorne Heights’ If Only You Were Lonely, and they are the same two elements that plagued their high selling The Silence in Black and White. Lyrically, Hawthorne Heights needs a lot of work to pass up the post-hardcore clichés of their predecessors in their own songwriting, and they need to do something more profound with their triad of guitars. When you have three people playing the same instrument and a bassist to add to the mix, we need something more complex than a flourish or a little reverb here and there to accent the lead guitar. Any metal or hardcore band worth their salt can play something similar with one guitarist and a bassist; the band has a huge opportunity to make grippingly corrosive music to curl your toes, the likes of which modern music has not seen. Instead, The Fully Down (who also have three guitarists) put Hawthorne Heights to shame in that department.

“Saying Sorry” is the lead single from the new CD, and on that particular song, they have just about ditched the screaming altogether. At the risk of being crucified, I have to say the song is damn catchy, despite the atrociously repetitive lyrics. It’s not exactly technical, but the guitar riffs are burgeoning yet a bit too simplistic for a band with three different people playing the same instrument. JT Woodruff’s near-falsetto vocals are impassioned, but it doesn’t take long for the mind-numbing repetition of “Saying goodbye, this time, the same old story/saying goodbye, makes me feel like saying sorry” to make you contemplate eating a bullet. However, it has just enough punch to it for the "cut my wrists and black my eyes" crowd who have helped push The Silence in Black and White nearly to platinum status to eat it up. It might be the most commercial track on the album, and thus is the logical choice for lead single. I enjoy (yes, it is the truth) the bass-guided “This Is Who We Are” and the toe-tapping “Language Lessons.” This band can write a heck of a made-for-MTV single, and to tell you the truth, that may be their calling.

The amusingly titled “Where Can I Stab Myself in the Ears?” derives its power from the deep, sludgy riff, but it does lack something in the hook. The scattered drumming also seems out of place, but the lyrics (again, the chorus is excessively prevalent) are solid. One of the biggest problems with this album is the songs that serve as filler. “Light Sleeper” does not really bring anything new to the table, and it blends it pretty well instrumentally with “Pens and Needles” (although the vocals are a far sight better on the latter).

The brooding ballad “Decembers” closes If Only You Were Lonely, and it probably has the best imagery and lyrics on the entire CD. It cannot save the album from a less than average grade, but it does prove to the world that the band has some definite potential in the future. I believe if Hawthorne Heights throw some musical complexity into their songs, and they strive to write less clichéd lyrics, they might have a solid third album in the cards. They have at least three bona-fide singles on tap for the world to hear, and this album is much more accessible to the people who loathed their last one. They have minimized the screaming, which is the first step toward a Hawthorne Heights that even I can enjoy listening to on a semi-regular basis. If you were a fan of their first album, go buy If Only You Were Lonely. It is solid progress. If not, you may want to give this a listen before you consider purchasing the CD. It tends to grow on you a bit, but there are still flaws. The band is not all there yet, but the situation is right for their career to take off in the mainstream arena. Hawthorne Heights will be this year’s My Chemical Romance, just you wait and see.

Buy Hawthorne Heights' If Only You Were Lonely on iTunes (http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=PjIvm57kicI&offerid=78941&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos. apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStor e.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%25 3D195464868%2526id%253D195463851%25 26s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30 )

[ACA]

If you were to make a checklist with problems that HH has, it would read something like..

Lyrics? check
Boring guitars? check
Poor vocals? check
Terrible/awful/misplaced screams? check check check

On a good day.

-ACA

[theOCEANFLOOR]

excellent review-- again, the honesty is key. great job, t-bone.

[Tony Pascarella]

If you were to make a checklist with problems that HH has, it would read something like..

Lyrics? check
Boring guitars? check
Poor vocals? check
Terrible/awful/misplaced screams? check check check

On a good day.

-ACA

This was definitely an improvement. It's not awesome music or anything--don't get me wrong.

[ACA]

This was definitely an improvement. It's not awesome music or anything--don't get me wrong.

I agree, this was a big improvement. The lyrics aren't AS bad as before (you kill me, you kill me well) and the screams aren't as bad (cut my wrists and black my eyes). Huge improvement.. but still hardly worth owning or listening to more than once.

-ACA

[matddors]

I like the album a lot. Light Sleeper has been stuck in my head for months, amazing song. I like December a lot too.

[fedhed7]

I agree with everything you said. This band has a knack for writing mediocre music that happens to be a little catchy. A few listens of their cd and i got bored out of my mind.

[Tony Pascarella]

I agree, this was a big improvement. The lyrics aren't AS bad as before (you kill me, you kill me well) and the screams aren't as bad (cut my wrists and black my eyes). Huge improvement.. but still hardly worth owning or listening to more than once.

-ACA

I feel like it's going to sell significantly better because it's more accessible. If Victory pushes it well, this will go platinum fairly easily.

[ACA]

I feel like it's going to sell significantly better because it's more accessible. If Victory pushes it well, this will go platinum fairly easily.

This band is a perfect example of "riding the wave". The music is incredibly weak compared to other music in the genre, but it is slightly more accessible due to this fact. The mainstream is still not "ready" for post-hardcore/emocore (ie Thursday, etc).. they can handle heavier stuff (System Of A Down, for example, who kills the charts) but stuff like this just can't seem to hit, though it's been rising significantly.

Hawthorne Heights writes weak music with a strange mainstream appeal (ok, maybe that's not so strange at all). In any case, you are correct, this could indeed go platinum. Though anyone who's ever picked up a guitar is/will be incredibly turned off by this.. and all the talented singers struggling in basement bands are probably nauseous already.

-ACA

[Tony Pascarella]

This band is a perfect example of "riding the wave". The music is incredibly weak compared to other music in the genre, but it is slightly more accessible due to this fact. The mainstream is still not "ready" for post-hardcore/emocore (ie Thursday, etc).. they can handle heavier stuff (System Of A Down, for example, who kills the charts) but stuff like this just can't seem to hit, though it's been rising significantly.

Hawthorne Heights writes weak music with a strange mainstream appeal (ok, maybe that's not so strange at all). In any case, you are correct, this could indeed go platinum. Though anyone who's ever picked up a guitar is/will be incredibly turned off by this.. and all the talented singers struggling in basement bands are probably nauseous already.

-ACA

They're a just below average post-hardcore band as-is if they remove the screams altogether. If they play something more complex with their guitars, they might actually be considered a decent band by a lot of people. I'm also wondering whether this will give them the power to move to a major label. I think yes.

[ACA]

I'm also wondering whether this will give them the power to move to a major label. I think yes.

A tour with Fall Out Boy doesn't hurt their chances. I wonder what their Victory deal is structured like.

-ACA

[osunfg]

i've played guitar for years and im not turned off by this. i play classical guitar, but my listening choice is retarded guitar. fun to listen to, not to play. it tickles me just the right way.
my favorites are 'i'm on your side' and 'cross me off your list'.
not that big a fan of decembers though.

[Drew Beringer]

Hahahah yes! This was rated higher than Yellowcard.

[crit]

Huge improvement.. but still hardly worth owning or listening to more than once.

-ACA

Agreed.

Tony, great review.

[ACA]

Hahahah yes! This was rated higher than Yellowcard.

Yellowcard destroys this disc.

-ACA

[pdlawry]

You are an idiot.

[myARMISTICE]

saying sorry is fucking catchy as hell, and they are really nice guys, i wish them the best of luck with this new disc

[akster]

i think this one is better then their other one. still not all that great though.

[ever so sweet20]

this cd is so bad, that i clicked on the review and it froze my computer.

[Drew Beringer]

Yellowcard destroys this disc.

-ACA

I rather listen to HH just for the fact they are nicer guys than the dickheads in YC.

[Valued at Zero]

I've heard 2 songs, Light Sleeper and Saying Sorry, and already I like this release more than their first one.

I feel the big problem with Hawthorne Heights is pretty much what everyone has said so far, bad lyrics, mediocre/weak music (three guitarists, come on, do something exciting) and the screaming overpowered almost everything on the disc, including the music and regular vocals.

I'll give this new album a chance.

[thatsignant]

They should just get rid of the screams all together, this way they won't come off as trying to be "hardcore." They could simply be a rock band and possibly gain some respect of the people that absolutely hate them. (doubt it)

[todayfadesaway]

down with this band.
beloved had three guitars and they were able to compliment eachother well.

[One Aware]

The latest 'Sullivan' album puts this puppy to bed.

[leafsacc]

The thing that really confuses me about HH is that right now, they are "that" band, the one most people hate but all the younger kids who have never really been into music before seem to adore. In the past, with bands like Good Charlotte, Yellowcard, My Chem or Green Day, the appeal was pretty obvious. I don't see those qualities in this band, and it's really surprising how successful they've been. At least the kids who listen to this might discover some good bands later on. As individuals, the guys in the band seem to have some pretty good tastes.

[buried_]

hawthorne heights and my chemical romance should not be mentioned in the same sentence.

[Ailite]

I don't dislike it, but it could definitely be better.

[Tony Pascarella]

Yellowcard destroys this disc.

-ACA

I think that expectations factor into reviews. I expected a lot out of Yellowcard and was completely let down. I expected jack shit out of this, so when it wasn't steaming dung, I was surpised. Also, the production on this CD kicks Yellowcard's ass, hence part of the reason for the higher rating. The replayability and staying power I think is a bit better for HH--they're closer to the "popular" record in my eyes. The lyrics are better for YC, as is the artwork, but the production really hurt Yellowcard's rating.

[Krane4168]

Listening to Hawthorne Heights always makes me think that with their cliched lyrics and completely forced "brooding emo" persona, it is almost as if they are a Spinal Tap of emo. It's like they are the Saturday Night Live parody of an emo band.

[Krane4168]

But that being said, the potential is there....I agreee with that

[theOCEANFLOOR]

this cd is so bad, that i clicked on the review and it froze my computer.
now that's fucking hilarious

[Loch_Doun]

Stellar review! I totally agree with everything.

[wesgemm08]

as catchy as HH can be, i dont see how u can give them a 7 for instrumentals, give me a break...

[Tony Pascarella]

as catchy as HH can be, i dont see how u can give them a 7 for instrumentals, give me a break...

7 = average
There's nothing particularly bad about the instrumentals. They have a good sound to them, and that counts for a lot. They don't get any higher because of the lack of complexity. I think anywhere from a 6 to a 7 is fair, and since I do enjoy some of it, I went toward the higher end.

[uhh beer]

i think people should take it as it is. its a catchy ass cd.
or atleast the single is i actuallyhaven't heard the rest.
i don't like their music, but if im watching tv and see hawthorne heights, that shit gets stuck in my head all day, and even with the screams it was super catchy music and thats why theyre so succesful.

and if they lessened the screams it only makes it more accessible for kids and will probably just make them sound better.

plus they are the nicest guys. so cut them some slack. as long as they love the music theyre making and theyre having fun doing it then theyre doing all right. and sure they'll prolly og on to sell a million records in the process haha

[Bruycker]

I rather listen to HH just for the fact they are nicer guys than the dickheads in YC.


yellowcard got less because they didn't make an improvement , hawthorne heights did... but still you can't compare the two discs

[FalloutGuy]

The main thing about this band that bothered me was that they never used the full potential of all three guitarists. I would be having all kinds of triple guitar attacks if it was my band. But I'll give the disc a chance

[splutton]

i like HH. liked their last cd which i bought, and i will probably buy this cd.

[HiddenInNJ]

I have also heard If Only You Were Lonely and it will definitely have teens age 12-15 sharing the same makeup and swooning over MTV's latest victims. The lyrics are subpar to say the least and despite two catchy songs the screaming HH used as a staple has all but disappeared on this album. The creativity on guitars is nonexistent and the synthesizer in the background is disturbing. A 64% is generous in my opinion

[lassise]

i think this band gets more shit than they deserve. you all liked them before they got on mtv.

[theOCEANFLOOR]

i think this band gets more shit than they deserve. you all liked them before they got on mtv.
nope. definitely never ever liked them.

[HiddenInNJ]

save your money for the new matchbook romance. talk about a band maturing musically. the lyrics could still use some work, but still, just wow. too bad it probably won't sell.

Haven't stopped listening to Voices for the past week. The musical acheivements on this album numerous and this band is a force to be reckoned with. Lyrics arent as bad as durden says and the solos all over the cd kick ass

[NoPenguinsInPA]

anybody find it hilarious that victory runs print ads that say 'fight corporate rock- buy independent!' and the band they pimp so much may have 'found their calling' 'writing made for MTV singles'?

[kshtoinks12]

but stilll congrats on Hawthorne Heights on becoming the poster boy slash my wrists emo band.

[SummerxStars]

when did hawthorne heights become an mtv band? i obviously missed something here.

[dukeboy1986]

Eh, I will say,I have hated on the heights and this CD is about 200000000 times better then TSIBAW. Decembers is a good song although some of the guitar riffs make me laugh.

[GoWaitInTheCar]

I feel like it's going to sell significantly better because it's more accessible. If Victory pushes it well, this will go platinum fairly easily.

I'm not a fan but everyone makes fun of them, yet they are more successful then anyone of us. Sure they suck horribly, but I'm more sick of the HH haters bashing them, then the band themselves.

[Beloved Broken]

GoWaitInTheCar, I think just the same. This band deserves more respect than it's given right now. Noone around here managed to get their level of success, and though they are far from reaching the full potential of a band (they have mediocre melodies), they are good at what they do. They write catchy stuff. Very catchy stuff.
Now: I may have given this album more thought than it deserves, but I seem to find a fine thread of lyrics, connected with all this dissing against Hawthorne Heights.
1) We're So Last Year - this is a very cliched emo title, and it may well be it's very idea. It begins: "We're falling faster/ This is the last year/ Just a few more hours/ Until we are all alone/ This never happens/ Changing with fashion/ Just a few more hours..." I read under those lyrics "Emo is getting more and more hated. It's changing, but we can't. They called us sellouts, but emo is what we are, and we're not changing just for the sake of it."
2) Pens and Needles - part of the lyrics are: "Just to survive we do what we can/ We read the maps and signs, and we make the plans/ By our design I write it down to get me by/ The worst time in my life" - this is a reference to them writing under a matrix, under a stereotype.
3) Saying Sorry - "These colors will not change, you change the way I see them/ These words will fade/ When you explain/ Why you hate them/ We are the same" - this is practically: "You hate us for being emo. But what is so different in the quality of our words from the words of others?
4) Dead in the Water - "I never thought you'd see me this way/ You are the worst and I am to blame /Close the door, lock it tight/ They don't know your safe tonight/ Turn on a song that means the most/ Believe im there and hold me close..." - that is kinda statement to the band's fans. "We never thought you'd like us so much. But now everyone hates you because you like us. But know that you have us.
5) Breathing in Sequence - "My personality, avoid the scenery, I hate playing games with the industry./ That fuels these dreams, and turns them down..." - that's a universal truth, we all know.

Also, I fell asleep on Yellowcard's latest.

[thesewordslikef]

im not much into the watered down, soft, generic emo stuff so i enjoyed having the screaming on the first lp. however, it is almost a thing of the past on this new disc. if you like poppy, catchy emo that makes your g/f dance buy this. if you liked the harder, edgy elements of "tsibaw" stay away from this one. that being said, i somewhat enjoyed "this is who we are" and "dead in the water". the single "saying sorry" is just brutally annoying.

[kshtoinks12]

the lyrics...in this release....are sickening

[disneywj]

great review....

I try not to embrace the fact they're from dayton....theres much better music here...really! I promise!

[c1rca_sk8ter]

this band rules!!!!!

[livethesounds]

I like the album a lot. Light Sleeper has been stuck in my head for months, amazing song. I like December a lot too.

I'd hav to agree with this guy. Im just as critical of lyrics and screaming as the next guy but while this album isint perfect in those categories, its a hell of a lot better than black & white. I enjoy allmost every song on the record, especially light sleeper. I really think people need to just stop doing the cool thing by trashing HH, crap these guys put out a damn good album, give them credit.
Heres things that are BETTER in this new album
-less pointless screaming
-more catchy choruses
-less idoticly dramatic lyrics related to love and killing ones self

All i can say is most of the people that trash this record havent actually listened to the damn thing. Just like when they first came out people make judgement by hearding 1/4 of one song.
Listen to the fucking album first, then say what you will, withought trying to agree with your stupid scene friends. THIS IS A VERY GOOD ALBUM

[PHolidayBASS]

If you were to make a checklist with problems that HH has, it would read something like..

Lyrics? check
Boring guitars? check
Poor vocals? check
Terrible/awful/misplaced screams? check check check

On a good day.

-ACA


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Thats exactly where i am coming from!

[Tony Pascarella]

I'd hav to agree with this guy. Im just as critical of lyrics and screaming as the next guy but while this album isint perfect in those categories, its a hell of a lot better than black & white. I enjoy allmost every song on the record, especially light sleeper. I really think people need to just stop doing the cool thing by trashing HH, crap these guys put out a damn good album, give them credit.
Heres things that are BETTER in this new album
-less pointless screaming
-more catchy choruses
-less idoticly dramatic lyrics related to love and killing ones self

All i can say is most of the people that trash this record havent actually listened to the damn thing. Just like when they first came out people make judgement by hearding 1/4 of one song.
Listen to the fucking album first, then say what you will, withought trying to agree with your stupid scene friends. THIS IS A VERY GOOD ALBUM

Your post basically says "they suck less." I wouldn't say any band that could be summarized as "sucking less" could put out a "very good album" using the same CD for comparison. It is a step in the right direction for Hawthorne Heights, but they're still a couple years and some well-written songs away from enjoyable for me.

[AWilhelmPetter]

I think this album was an improvment from the previous, but compared to for example Thursday this is nothing worth listening to.

[Drew Beringer]

This album is a fun listen every now and then. Saying Sorry is like crack for my ears.

[xxxcrowanxxx]

I love HH but I must agree with the review

[hitlaura]

i enjoyed HH's "the silence in black and white" and was looking forward to the new release.
But it seems that popularity has gone to HH's heads, not producing their older, 'harder' sound if you will but more of a 'pop' sensation, it is true, and one can already see it happening, HH are the new MCR for the younger generation as mentioned above.
Catchy hooks with deep underlining meaningful lyrics? please, the tunes on this album are no more deep than kisschasy's "do do's and wo oahs" an excellent example here is "saying sorry" to think that they want their songs to have meaning and originality is upsetting considering what they have produced.

Laura...

[mylastbreath13]

Honestly I like this album, it is definitely a big step up from the last one and has spent a good amount of time in my cd player.I would call this a guilty pleasure but I refuse to feel guilty.I'm going to listen to whatever and not worry that the girl pants clad "music patrol" is going to excommunicate me. I think most people hate them because now its the "cool" thing to do. That always happens to certain bands and people jump on the bandwagon to hate them without even really knowing why.It tends to happen when a band blows up really big and then generates a fanbase with alot of "tweens" (such as blink182 after EOTS).I think big labels are responsible for this the way they whore bands around as Spencer from Underoath put it. In my opinion if this was released under any other name alot of people who dislike them would be enjoying this but instead everyone is afraid of being caught listening to HH because it's "forbidden" if you want to score points with the "scene". It always kills me when some young teenager who has just bairly discovered punk or hardcore music starts saying that bands are sellouts or posers when it's obvious that they have no clue why.People will do anything to be part of the "group" whatever that may be.

[Tony Pascarella]

This album is a fun listen every now and then. Saying Sorry is like crack for my ears.Agreed.

[Gilsteryo!]

one word.

GARBAGE!

[MFSchris]

i totally agree with everything in the review, but for some reason, i find myself spinning this disc at least once every couple of weeks, it's a strange guilty pleasure of mine, i guess its the clean production and the catchy choruses. completely unoriginal crap, but its good driving music now and then.

[cereal4life]

I hate this album but I really like "This is Who We Are". Don't tell my friends though. haha

[bummm]

It's okay.

[saosin_13]

i think hawthorne heights is an awesome band but it seems that with every album after TSIBAW it slowly goes downhill.

[chelseaxsmilexD]

I feel like it's going to sell significantly better because it's more accessible. If Victory pushes it well, this will go platinum fairly easily.
i love how you say that, and then they tell everyone to hide Ne-Yo CDs so Hawthorne Heights can rise to the charts faster and get platinum status over Ne-Yo.

[chelseaxsmilexD]

CASEY CALVERT DIED ON MY BIRTHDAY TWO YEARS AGO! //_v SADDENING!

[Thatwouldbejon]

I have always had such a soft spot for this band. IMO HH>Sliverstein

[MBIIdollaBill]

I feel like it's going to sell significantly better because it's more accessible. If Victory pushes it well, this will go platinum fairly easily.
its funny, 5 years after the fact, and it still hasn't gone platinum. and this was with "saying sorry" getting decent mainstream radio play. in other words, victory sucks.