Eric Richter (he of Christie Front Drive and a zillion other bands) has a new project called Highness. Along with dudes from City Of Caterpillar and Pg. 99, he concocted a solid mix of swirling guitars, hard-hitting drums along with his trademark serene and melodic vocals that help lift everything to the next level.

Whether you’re listening to Highness at their loudest (“Stitched Together”) or at their most mellow (the instrumental “Forking Roads”), these guys managed to write a set of songs that are both cohesive and impressive. Most likely “Hold” will slip under the radar because it’s not hip enough, but spend a little time with it and you’ll quickly find out that it was time well spent.