Customer Reviews

Life in Dreaming

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I saw these guys opening for Slick Shoes a few years ago, and I was completely blown away by their energy. They are still my most favorite live act. Anyways, I bought this CD, which turned out to not really sound anything like their live stuff. At first I wasn't too fond of the album, but the more I listened to it, the more it grew on me and now I play it regularly. I would say that it is similar to other sissy punk bands like NFG or MxPx, but HIPV seem to pay more attention to the artistic aspect of music. The vocals are meaningful and metaphoric; the music is layered and well thought-out. This isn't an aggressive skateboarding CD. It is more of a hanging-out-and-enjoying-the-moment CD. You won't find any of these songs on any Punk-O-Rama, but true to the Drive-Thru label, it is a melodic and well-produced work of art.

I've been a huge fan of Drive Thru records for a number a long time, so I've known of Hidden In Plain View for quite some time. I saw them four years ago with New Found Glory and thought they were on the cusp of greatness, espicially with the way they left everything on the stage and played for nearly two hours. When I first purchased "Life In Dreaming" I was expecting an underground hit, something similar to My Chemical Romance's "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge" that would eventually find its way into mainstream music, however that never happened.

After the first couple times listening to the CD, I kept wanting more but had no idea why. There wasn't a single track that jumped out to me as unbelievable, yet I couldn't take it out of my CD player either. Eventually I started singing some of the songs in my head, a dead giveaway that a CD has begun to wear on you, and I sit here today still able to say that the CD is in constant rotation in my car a year later.

Don't get me wrong, this CD did not reach the potential that I thought it could, but there are signs that the band is close to making something of themselves. Anyone claiming they are similar to such acts as "Creed" or "Limp Bizkit" didn't listen to the CD and is just going on what others told them for the sound, instruments, producing, and lyrics have no similarities to either ninties rock acts. There are 11 tracks on the CD, 7 of which I will always listen to, 4 of which are "EXCELLENT" songs.

Track 1, "Bleed For You" should have been the first single for the band. It's fast paced, utilizes the strengths of the band which are hard guitars, one singer belting out harmonic pleads while the other screams over top. Plain and simple, an excellent track and worth downloading if not interested in the CD as a whole. Track 3, "A Minor Detail" might seem ordinary on the CD, but the band plays remarkebly well live, which is why I will give it a better grade then most. Again, fast paced with both singers used frequently. The best track on the CD, and actually one of the best rock tracks I have heard in quite some time, is track 5 "Twenty Below". This is really the first track where the band begins to let some of their emotions out, but what makes it special is the ability for the band to almost change sounds entirely on three different occasions on the track. The song starts slow, picks up in the middle, and then dies down completely to a heart wrenching end. Its a roller coaster of a song that anyone that has lost a loved one would not only understand, but appreciate. To me, the best of the track is the very end, after the belting vocals of "Feel like twenty below?" to go back to an acoustic set for the final "Just wait and you'll see you're everything I want...". It is an absolute perfect ending to a great track. The final song, "Halcyon Daze" is one of the weaker songs to most critics because of its slow pace and blandness. I won't dispute either case as there is nothing extraordinary at first listen. What one needs to do is listen to the words though and understand that its a story, not just a filler song. Put yourself in place of the Rob singing the song and I promise you'll appreciate the song.

I wish I could give this CD 5 stars, but even though some of the tracks are excellent, having four songs that I will always skip doesn't allow me to give the CD a perfect grade. The promise is still their for greatness, it just hasn't been reached yet.

I'd have to disagree with anyone saying that this CD is a piece of crap. Yeah, it does sound alot like Taking Back Sunday but they are still a very good band and this is a really good CD. I don't get why many people say that everyone sounds like TBS when that is so not true. Hawthorne Heights, Armor for Sleep, Senses Fail, My Chemical Romance, and Underoath are all good bands that can fall into the whole punk/emo genre and they sound nothing like TBS. This and Matchbook Romance are the only bands I know that sound like TBS. I like TBS for their music so if your gonna say that a band sounds like them don't expect me to be like "thats not original, they suck" , but definetly expect me to check them out.

hidden in plain view proved them wrong. they had sooooo many people complaining that they sounded exactly like early november or senses fail, or any other drive thru band. this cd sounds nothing like either. it is reminiscent of taking back sundays "tell all your friends" but it is still an awesome cd

1. bleed for you - 10/10 - amazing song. this was very popular before this cd came out, and it has alot of meaning. great song writing, and much darker than ppl think.

2. ashes, ashes - 9/10 - the first single, and it makes a statement, as hipv is often critiqued for lack of origionality. it may not be the most origional song, but they are very diverse. it sounds almost nothing like the previous track. very fast and i love the almost screaming chorus

3. a minor detail - 9/10 - this reminded me ALOT of the old tbs, but just because its not something that sounds completely different from everything else doesnt make it bad. great song

4. the point - 9/10 - slow song. well written. catchy. what more can i say? very good song

5. 20 below - 9/10 - this was a favorite before the full length came out. alot of ppl are saying it was butchered. it wasnt. its better than it was, and i thought that it used to be overrated. not anymore

6. garden statement - 10/10 - this, ladies and gentlemen, is hipv. amazing song, well written, catchy chorus, and it changes throughout. its like 3 different, great songs all rolled into one. the first of the top 5 of the cd

7. the innocent ones -8/10- good slow song, but just good. i consider it one of the weaker songs on the cd, but i never skip it when playing it.

8. american classic - 15/10 - my favorite on the cd. somebody said that they slowed this song down, thats crazy. its still fast-paced, and just a fun song about a very relatable topic, moving on in life and friends going away. they added alot of guitar to this, which i think is great. extremely well written

9. in memory- 10/10- when i first heard this song, i didnt think much of it. it grew on me. one of the top 5 of this cd

10. top 5 addictions- 10/10- very catchy chorus. this and "american classic" are the two songs that i think they really take advantage of two great vocalists in. fast, heavy, awesome song. another one of the top 5

11. halcyon daze- 12/10- amazing. just amazing. probably the best song writer we've ever seen from hipv. very mature. second best on the cd. great vocals. one of the best slow songs i have ever heard. and i've heard alot of slow songs

the best cd of the year so far. 1000000x times better than there previous ep's, which were outstanding (well mostly). dont buy into all the not origional stuff: hipv is amazing. you have to get this cd

Hidden In Plain View's fist full length album is great. It has been done for some time now but is finally out. I own their other cd's and this one is by far the best. It brings back some old songs like twenty below and an american classic. You should buy this album or die. Who ever doesn't own this album needs to. It's better than their EP which was pretty good. Words cannot express how good this album is. It will say in your cd player for years to come. It only gets better each time i listen to it. Just one great album. Thanks HIPV for making one of the greatest albums ever. They are gods of our time. You need to get the album.

The day I bought this CD I had heard one HIPV song before it and had no idea what the hell I was buying. That ranks up there with buying Taking Back Sunday's tell all your friends as one of the best decisions I have ever made. The lyrics on this CD never cease to amaze me, the drumming is amazing (being a drummer myself I would know), they play very well off each other and no 2 songs sound the same.
Track by Track:

1. Bleed For You- Great way to start the cd, one of the faster songs, 9/10

2. Ashes, Ashes- The single off this, I like this song, don't get me wrong, but I think that its one of the weaker songs on this CD all except for the second verse, 7.5/10

3. A Minor Detail- These song has great singing that really gets to you, great guitar parts, 8/10

4. The Point- This is one of the more emotional songs on the CD a little slower but good lyrics, 8.5/10

5. Twenty Below- One of my favorite songs of all time, the drumming is amazing, the lyrics are awesome, the standout of this CD, 10/10

6. Garden Statement- The beggining of this song really kind of bored me at first but after the second chorus comes one of the greatest strings of lyrics I have ever heard, from, So let me drown and I can breathe again, Im through choking and suffocating, until, I'll live the life the big city feeling...., are lyrics you will not find everyday, just for that 8.5/10

7. The Innocent Ones- This is my 2nd favorite song on this CD and next to Garden Statement it has the best lyrics, amazing emotion poured into this, 10/10

8. American Classic- Not the best song on this cd but a good faster song, good stuff, 8/10

9. In Memory- Another faster song, nothing special but great none the less, 7.5/10

10. Top 5 Addictions- This song never really got me, its OK I like it but it is the one song that I dont completely love, 7/10

11. Halcyon Daze- Amazing way to end the CD, left me feeling like I had just heard the singers heart poured out to me, great song, 9/10

All in all this is one of the best CDs that I own, I urge you to buy it if you enjoy Taking Back Sunday, Armor For Sleep, etc..

I've liked hipv ever since i first heard american classic. The quality was crap, but i loved it. This cd just brings everything I loved about their eps into one and more.

1) Bleed For You - I LOVE this song. Its developed so much since I first heard it. Its the perfect rendition. The bridge is amazing. "So put the weight on my shoulders... and the pain in my heart..."
9.5/10

2) Ashes, Ashes - Heavy Song, Love the drums, not my favorite
8/10

3) A Minor Detail - Another heavier song. I like it a lot. The chorus is great... 8.5/10

4) The Point - A softer song. I LOVE it. The chorus is great... wonderful. One of the better songs on the cd
9.5/10

5) Twenty Below - I liked the other version better, but its still a GREAT rendition
8.75/10

6) Garden Statement - Heard it on pure volume before the cd came out. The bridge is crazy. I love this song. Hear it on purevolume.com/hiddeninplainview
9/10

7) The Innocent Ones - First of my two favorite songs on the cd... simply amazing. Soft verses, heavier chorus. "And i find some way... to cut myself open... over and over again... and i find some way... to bury it all"
11/10

8) American Classic - THEY BROUGHT IT BACK. The other favorite song. Its so perfect.. and its perfect quality now. Heavy song, great verses, great chorus... listen to it
11/10

9) In Memory - Good song... drum thing in the beginning is hot. Not one of the better songs, but still great
8/10

10) Top 5 Addictions - Heavy song, love the chorus... another great song...
8.5/10

11) Halycon Daze - GREAT END TO THE CD. Wonderful song. One of my favorites. Its softer... and has the catchiest verses
10/10

Overall a wonderful cd... please just buy it and give it a listen

This cd is one of the best cd's i've ever heard. Hidden in Plain View is simply incredible. I had two of their songs on my iPod and had to get the cd when it came out. I'm not disappointed at all with this cd. Drive Thru Records has put out some of the best music this world has and will ever see.

I saw this CD at wal-mart and thought: What the heck it's on Drive thru and the label says it sounds like TBS. It can't be that bad.

My first impression was good. The first track: "bleed for you" really got me pumped about this band. Sure, it sounded like a lot of other emocore bands, like matchbook romance and Early november but in a good way. It's a lot moe pop-punk that those bands. This can be taken good or bad depending on your taste. The chord progression and vox is almost NFG like, but heavier. There's occasional screaming and intensified drumming that make this CD very emocorey. HIPV does a great job of melding this softer pop-punk sound with a slightly hardcore vibe.

I found that this band has many pros and cons, so the best way to visualize them would be in just that way...

PROS-

-better than average drumming. It's not often we see double bass in the kind of music. That's awesome.

-HIPV has a nice rythm section, but who doesn't in this genre?

-good screamer, Rob Freeman gets the job done.

-Good job melding of genres that usually don't work well together



CONS-

-the singer sounds like jordan pundik... EW

-There's a lot of potential for this band to grow into something more but they don't show it.

-lyrically this is sub-par.

-It sounds redundantly like other related bands.

-over-produced

-i could have done without the acoustic songs



This Cd manages to outdo recent bands in the same pool, like armor for sleep and Matchbook romance, but it comes nowhere near to matching up with TBS's Tell all your friends.

I absolutely love this album. I heard Bleed for you by accident, but I fell in love with it. I Bought the album straight away and it hasn't lft my CD player since. All the songs are fantastic, all but The Point, The Innocent Ones and Halcyon Daze, which are a bit boring and dull. But the rest of the album totally makes up for it!

Its hard to pick out a fovourite, but the one that caught me first was "Top 5 Addictions." This song is brilliant and is actually addictive! My other favourites would be "Garden Statement" - I love the way it becomes slower at the end, it sounds like a totally different song, but in a good way! I also love "Twenty Below", Joe Reo's voice sounds amazing on that one! My other ultimate favourite is "In memory" which is about people they know that are dying. Sounds tragic, but it is an amazing song.

Of course the rest are brilliant too, each with their own hidden meaning. This album is addictive and if you want to hear some really good music, I'd definately recommend this band!