HIGH FADE “REFRESHING AND BOLD” IN NEW ALBUM ‘TWICE AS NICE’
ALBUM REVIEW | HIGH FADE – TWICE AS NICE by Emma Carrington
Edinburgh’s High Fade have released their second studio album Twice As Nice this Friday, May 8th. The band blend rock, punk, and pop into their own unique sound that has been making waves in the UK scene.
A purely independent band, having allegedly turned down several record label deals, High Fade remain purely indie, releasing the new album on their own label, RPN Records, in order to keep full creative control over all their songs.
Recorded between Nashville and London, Twice As Nice blends those cultures seamlessly with a sound almost gives notes of The Animals’ ‘House of the Rising Sun’. The lead single,‘Jokes On You’, blends rap and rock into something unique, catchy, and bleeding with funk. The instrumental is – in a single word – fun. Reminiscent of something you would hear at a festival and be able to enjoy without having heard any of the band’s previous work, the lyrics are simple and easy to sing along too. A song which is enjoyable at a surface level, allowing the band to grow their audience and reputation for live shows.
By branding themselves primarily through an exhaustive live schedule (boasting over 1000 gigs worldwide), High Fade risks becoming a ‘souvenir band.’ The sort that would fall strong on a festival line-up, as opposed to building a core audience of their own.
That extends to the album. Each song sounds stands out as unique to High Fade, however they did have a striking similarity to one another which made it difficult for any one song to particularly stick out. Lyrically, the tracks are simple, but that makes them easy to memorise; it’s fun and the music feels like the soundtrack to a 2000s summer movie.
Similarity doesn’t take away from enjoyment though. Frontman Harry Valentino, combines just the right amount of grit with a funky, melodic delivery. His performance is impressively “grungy” while maintaining a sense of whimsical joy.
Anticipation has been building for this release, and it’s no wonder; for an album in 2026, Twice As Nice is an essential dose of nostalgia and joy. High Fade represents the exact change the music industry needs to stay independent while offering a blended sound that is as refreshing as it is bold.
Twice As Nice by High Fade is out now via RPN Records – buy on limited black vinyl or stream here.
Catch the band live this October – tickets available here.
