Oldsoul - High on Yourself | Single Review

The best kinds of songs are the ones that go somewhere, and “High on Yourself,” the newest single from Oldsoul, is a song that takes the listener on a journey in just four short minutes. In listening to the band’s latest track on a loop, I was struck by how tonally different the song’s beginning sounds from its end. It’s like two separate pieces of music with completely different energies, yet if you follow the song’s emotional logic as it unfolds, that path makes all the sense in the world.  

“High on Yourself” is the story of a love that isn’t working. It begins with a slow drum pattern and a synth worthy of a Cyndi Lauper song. As the drums roll on, lead singer Jess Hall soon sways into the frame with self-hating lyrics depicting an imbalanced relationship in decay. As she lays out her needs and anxieties, she tries to see things from her partner’s perspective, gradually working her way up to a realization. About a minute into the track, she belts, “Our best times together are when you’re self-assured.” Two words into her next thought, the band fully kicks in; drums, bass, and guitar all swinging together in rhythm, forming a hearty indie rock riff. 

The synth swells, returning to full-power once more. The band responds with a jangly dance passage before dropping out for a breather. As Hall re-enters the spotlight, she finds herself trapped in the past, singing the song’s most nostalgic and sentimental line, “When I was young I was always with good things / I can’t believe our love isn’t working.” She quickly switches from denial to concessions, pleading, “I don’t even need to take it in / I don’t need to have a voice anymore.”

The group belts one more chorus before it feels like they’ve finally cast the shackles off. They throw to a shreddy guitar solo, the synth radiates, the drums pick up intensity, and Hall’s voice shakes as she reaches a passionate high note. After this outpouring, the group drops back down to a dancy indie rock clip before reaching a snappy send-off that’s as close to closure as a relationship like this will ever allow.