Juniors, the third full-length album from indie folk duo, Tall Heights, is an emotionally raw, yet sonically refined release that was well worth waiting for. Arriving just under four years after 2018’s Pretty Colors For Your Actions, Juniors finds Paul Wright and Tim Harrington exploring the complex emotions that came along with the upheaval of the pandemic, shake-ups in their personal and professional lives, loss and most importantly: love. The perfect backdrop to the album’s emotional journey is the sweeping sonic landscape, complete with flawless harmonies, orchestral elements, borrowed synthesizers and even a full a cappella group.
Each track on Juniors comes from a personal place in the duo’s lives, but that doesn’t mean that the album isn’t relatable or palatable by any means. Instead, it makes for a very powerful, relatable release. The opening track, “Keeps Me Light” is the perfect introduction, wrapping you up in warm, safe lyrics and absolutely stunning vocal work. Meanwhile, songs like “The Mountain” and “Raindrop” serve as sweet acoustic love songs. Contrasting perfectly are tracks like the bittersweet, “Waking Up,” which asks, “Isn’t it lonely when you feel what you could have had?”
Juniors as a whole is incredibly easy to listen to, with each timeless track flowing with ease into the next. Cinematic and heartfelt, the album fills the spaces that most modern music can’t quite reach – Tell Heights don’t need massive choruses or poppy guitar hooks or gimmicks to hook you. Instead, this album stands out due to the sincere lyricism, absolutely stunning vocal harmonies and thoughtful songwriting. It’s everything you didn’t know you needed.