Emotionalpunk.com
Media Review
Music Quality: 8.0
Production: 8.5
Originality: 8.0
Tracklisting
2. Explode
3. Wait Another Day
4. Common Reaction
5. Say So
6. Covered
7. Everyone
8. Away From Here
9. So Long
10. Dance With Me
11. Dreamer
Soft, sleek and sensual are adjectives that quickly leap to the forefront of my mind when thinking of Uh Huh Her’s debut album “Common Reaction”. The duo, comprised of multi-instrumentalists Camila Grey and Leisha Hailey, have created a heavy synthesized and superbly harmonized effort that runs playfully through your imagination dodging trees with fabrics flowing gently behind. Upon hearing Uh Huh Her’s initial EP in 2007 titled “I See Red” I was highly anticipating this full-length. The two standout songs on the EP, “Explode” and “Say So”, also (thankfully) appear on “Common Reaction”, therefore those of you preparing to jump on the bandwagon there is minimal ground to recover.
Listening to the electronic-pop / neo-new wave sound of "Common Reaction" is like the feeling you have when drifting in and out of consciousness; the place in between being awake and dreaming. The ladies’ sweet, and sometimes haunting, vocals arouse your senses and leave your body fully stimulated. The album kicks off with the track “Not A Love Song” which is a up-tempo, synth-ed out number with a catchy guitar loop. The next three tracks, “Explode”, “Wait Another Day” and “Common Reaction” are my favorite songs on the album. “Explode” is dark and sexy, consisting of lyrics like “I wanna touch you, slowly. I’m a lonely girl – come on…” and “I’d love to hurt you, easy. I’ve got you, inside me…”- this song still lingers in my head almost a year after my original listen. Conversely, the sweet and honest “Wait Another Day” is a heartfelt love letter-ish confession of desire and longing. The song is simple yet beautifully constructed and (like most of the tracks) displays the effortless harmonizing between Grey and Hailey.
Lyrically, the album lacks complexity (although the vagueness in word choice can often be intriguing) however, I do not feel this reduces the overall enjoyment factor or beauty the release exhibits. Admittedly, the songs do have similar sound nevertheless all tracks proceed to effectively burrow into your head. The smooth vocals are incredibly infectious and have a lullaby effect on the listener. Needless to say, I am a fan of Uh Huh Her. “Common Reaction” will surely be my easy listening fallback album for when I want to drift away from the physical world. In additon, I will surely be in attendance as Uh Huh Her prepares to hit the road in the next few months. A wonderful debut.
Déjà vu who? – Depeche Mode, Metric, Sneaker Pimps
Positive Reaction – “Explode”, “Wait Another Day”, "Common Reaction”, “Dreamer”