Review: The Bigger Lights- Fiction Fever [EP]

The Bigger Lights- Fiction Fever [EP]
Doghouse Records
Release: October 7, 2008

I recently elected to take a course called Business and Sports Marketing. So far we’ve learned about different marketing techniques, important facts of marketing, and other sections of marketing. Marketing is the process of organizing and directing all the company activities which relate to determining the market demand and converting the customers. In this situation, the fans are the customers.

Product: The Bigger Lights

Advertising: Fiction Fever [EP]

How: Absolute Management Group (Nano Tissera)

So the product, The Bigger Lights, have had all the success due to the Internet. I mean, they released this demo at a local show, which got them tons of attention from the local Virginia scene. From that, MySpace's name sections have been filled with display names like this “Your Name Here [tbl.].” So how could a band so unknown, receive so much attention? Great marketing. The Bigger Lights aren’t the average band. I mean, they don’t have someone running their MySpace account, they write back to everything you say. All the members are very friendly, which enabled ties with the right people. This probably opened the eyes of Nano Tissera and Absolute Management Group (All Time Low, Friday Night Boys).

Now how do you market this band? By releasing the self produced EP, Third Act Stories, which opened the eyes of Doghouse Records. Now it’s time to show the world what TBL can deliver. Fiction Fever doesn’t really bring the same “oomph” that TAS brought. However the album shows many comparisons to other bands. During “Apocalypse!”, one could hear a Cartel feel. The comparisons filter more throughout “Goldmine Valentine.” Vocalist Topher Talley belts notes previously heard on releases from Gatsby’s American Dream to This Providence. The song also includes catchy lyrics, guitar pokes similar to The Matches, and just an overall feel of Kanye West’s “Gold Digger.”

Now can this product sell? I’m sure it will sell, but I doubt it’ll bring in new listeners. Fiction Fever includes three previously released songs (Reved and Ready, Romance In A Slow Dance, When Did We Lose Ourselves), which will only slow down the release. Also, I feel the album's track list could be organized better. I mean, at least rearrange it so the tracks are flowing and the listener isn’t fighting the sound changes. Here’s one more suggestion to Topher Talley: try to get away from the similar vocal patterns, as other bands in the scene. By this, create your own sound, don’t be that band that gets compared to every other band in the scene. To conclude, The Bigger Lights can only improve from this release.

Artist: The Bigger Lights
Album: Fiction Fever
Label: Doghouse Records
Release Date: October 7th, 2008
RIYL: Motion City Soundtrack, Hidden in Plainview, This Providence
Reviewed By: Kyle Schnitzer

Score: 7.2 (Previously posted @ The Daily Chorus)