There isn’t a pop song on the planet that has a damn thing new to say, or a new way in which to say it. And that’s just fine — in fact, a big part of the fun of being a pop fan is listening to songwriters connect those same old dots from slightly different angles. You can feel a song’s framework guiding you toward, say, a falsetto vocal on the chorus, or maybe handclap percussion, or even perhaps some whistling in the mix, and you can’t help but break out in a smile when A plus B equals C all over again. The formula still works; the laws of the universe still hold sway. A hook can still be just as barbed when you’re hearing it for the thousandth time.

All of which is to say that while Young Rising Sons‘ “High” may sound instantly familiar in a lot of ways (including those whistles, handclaps, and falsetto vocals I was talking about earlier), that’s part of what makes it so deliriously enjoyable — the kind of song that makes you want to cast off your troubles, sing along, and dance around, stopping only long enough to hit “play” every 2:50 and start the process over again. More, please. And soon.

About the Author

Jeff Giles

Jeff Giles is the founder and editor-in-chief of Popdose and Dadnabbit, as well as an entertainment writer whose work can be seen at Rotten Tomatoes and a number of other sites. Hey, why not follow him at Twitter while you're at it?

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