Mike Haggith - "Bridges" CD Review!!

It's now time for our 149th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at local/Thompson, Manitoba alternative/hard rock solo musician Mike Haggith's 51st canon solo album "Bridges"! Released through Mike's own MorningStar Studios imprint on November 6th (his birthday), songwriting for "Bridges" commenced soon after Mike moved to Thompson in late 2017, with recording sessions, single previews, and teasers taking place into early 2019, before the album was indefinitely postponed due to mixing delays, personal life concerns, and the quick development of another new studio album, "If Ever Comes The Day", which jumped ahead in line for a May 2020 release. "Bridges" regained priority in 2021 and was finally completed as intended after four years of development. Recorded at MorningStar Studios & Lionheart Audio, this album was Mike's first solo release with an external producer, namely Justin Sobey, who also guests on guitar on tracks #1 & #5, as well as bass on track #9.

A concept album reflecting on mental health issues & struggling with isolation after moving to Thompson, "Bridges" is available to stream or buy on multiple digital platforms handily linked via Distrokid. In terms of actually buying it, the album will run you $5 on Bandcamp or $7.99 on Amazon, and like with The Din's recent "Give In To The Din" reissue, physical copies can be bought via Kunaki on both CD for $10 AND vinyl for $35, a first for Mike's discography, though the track listing was slightly re-arranged due to format limitations. Song names below are linked to their Bandcamp copies. With 10 songs running for about 43 minutes in length, let's begin this review!

The album leads off with "From The 55th Parallel", which is about reflecting on what/who he misses since his move to Thompson (which is near the 55th parallel of latitude), and seemingly how the distance magnifies his positive memories and ambitions. Opening with an organ effect that is admittedly a little harsh, the song proper is definitely more rock based than much of "If Ever Comes The Day", but the symphonic elements harken back to his pre-Din solo output. Is it wrong to get the vibe of Prince's "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" from this song? Mike's deep yet melodic vocals are put to good use here, though his and Justin's guitar feel a little like an afterthought, and the clapping percussion of the bridge isn't as loud as it should be. Not a bad song, especially for fans of Mike's early-mid 2010s solo work, but as a composition, it was missing something melodically.

Second is "Over Indecision", which talks about a lost shot at love & how one regrets not being as assertive about their attraction as they should have been, and how he wants another chance to prove himself. This song is more melancholy and downbeat, yet keeps up a brisk musical pace, complete with a nice build to a dramatic and well mixed chorus! If only the vocals in the choruses weren't so repetitive, I'd have at least alternated the two lines as it went along. The drum programming is also repetitive in the verses, but the chorus is where the drum track shines, which would compliment a human drummer well in concert! I like how grand this song sounds, especially from the orchestral keyboard elements, and musically, this is still an improvement for what I like from Mike's solo work! Next is "The Nature of The Times", which was this album's first single back in 2019, complete with music video. 

Lyrically about reflecting on a down time in one's life, but accepting it as just the way things are right now and aiming for a better future, the song is more of a straightforward indie rocker that more calls to mind what Mike later wrote for "If Ever Comes The Day", if with some backing harmonics. You can see why it was picked as the first single, as it has a nice authentic quality and good melodies, especially with how Mike's vocals are tracked on the chorus. Not the heaviest song on offer, and the lyrics are thin outside of the chorus, but it fits where Mike has been heading musically, and it's a well written highlight! Song #4 is "An Act of Strength", which reflects on Mike's move to Thompson and how, despite the hurt it caused a loved one, was the title act to better his life, as hard as it may seem on paper. This song is largely driven by the piano and percussion, with Mike singing softly overtop of it all.

The chorus does amp up the intensity and passion, but the song mostly stays on the same emotional track until a mournful coda at the end. Not my favourite song on offer, just based on my own musical preferences and how this song doesn't have the melodic variance of others, but it gets the lyrical point across and suits the album concept! Then we have "The Catalyst", which is a song about a loved one, specifically one who moved there to be together, but seemingly left again after things didn't turn out the way they hoped, yet is still missed.  Musically similar to earlier tracks in it's symphonic elements, this has a very 1980s vibe to it's structure, almost Huey Lewis-y, if that's fair. The vocals drive this song more than the instruments do, admittedly, which ironically happened in both songs with Justin on guest guitar. The song fades out a little abruptly too, but it's a tight power pop song while it lasts!

The second half of "Bridges" begins with it's longest track, "Dangerous Town", which seems to be reflective of what he's heard about Thompson, but regardless, how he'll persevere and be with loved ones again. The song has an ethereal quality to it's backing instrumentation that is well done, and contrasts nicely with Mike's standard tone of vocals and a simple yet effective guitar riff. While a little soft for my usual musical tastes, this song combines it's elements into a strong melodic package that lives up to it's intended ambitions, and fans of Mike's softer side should get enjoy this one a lot! Next is the album's shortest song, "Come on Home", which is about what it sounds like, wishing for a loved one to safely come home (good sentiment for the holidays!). This is a downbeat ballad with Mike singing in a lower register than normal, and with a generally simplified musical structure.

Not a bad composition, and it puts Mike's softer side to use in a somewhat new dimension (this plays very well acoustically), but the abrupt ending wasn't to my liking, and I do prefer Mike's more upbeat rock-influenced material. Still a nice change of pace! Then we have "Blue Highway", a title that appears to reflect flying, given Mike's day job, with the idea of taking to the skies to escape one's less than ideal situation. A mid-tempo song that definitely has a good driving (or flying) quality to it, you even get somewhat of a guitar solo here, and this puts more of Mike's musical talents to use for a fuller sound! I'd have sped this up a little, and the "give it to me" lyrics are overdone, but this is a musical return to form if you preferred the first half of the album, and it's one of the better tracks in terms of evoking the lyrics!

The penultimate song is "Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost", which feels like a companion piece to "Come On Home" given it's very similar lyrical content, but this seems to be more based around hoping a loved one returns following an argument and/or personal strife. Similarly, this is another downbeat ballad, if more optimistically sung in a higher register, and it builds nicely into a more grandiose, intricate last stretch. Well performed, including via Justin's guest bass, and the passion and emotion is well channeled on this late album highlight! Things conclude with the album's title track "Bridges", which sums up the album's messages about lost loves, isolation, and mental health using symbolism of the real Mystery Lake Bridge in Thompson, with Mike wishing to build a bridge to bring loved ones closer to him. This song is more ethereal and reflective, without much of a rock base, but with the requisite emotion that comes so easily to Mike.

The tone of the vocals and the drum track feel slightly off, I'm not sure why, but as an emotional climax of the album, it does what it sets out to do lyrically! As a compositon, I do prefer rockier songs from Mike, but again, that's not the point of this song, and to put a bow on things, it's about what you'd expect! So, what are my final thoughts on "Bridges"? Overall, this is a strong album that feels like an old school Mike Haggith release, but with the added maturity and life experience to help this one truly feel like the next step in his musical evolution! Mike has called this album the link between The Din's last studio album (2017's "Suburban Dream") and "If Ever Comes The Day" (which, again, was written & recorded later), but honestly, I never thought of The Din as being a link in this way. This feels much more like coming between "If Ever..." and his last pre-Din solo album, 2015's "The Warinside", as The Din never had keyboard and symphonic components like we saw from Mike as a solo musician then and here.

If you like Mike's music with more of a rock or a power pop base, this will be more your cup of tea than what came out last year, and I did like a lot of what "Bridges" brought to the table musically and emotionally! Songs like "Over Indecision", "The Nature Of The Times", and "Blue Highway" were highlights for me in showcasing Mike's growth and maturity as a musician over the past six years, but there are parts I'd address. Repetitive lyrics, abrupt song fade-outs, sometimes overpowering symphonics, and an increasingly melancholy back half were chief among them, and I think as pure compositions, "If Ever Comes The Day" may have been a stronger album in spite of not being as heavy. Still, it's great to finally hear "Bridges" and it deserves the positive buzz it's getting so far in Manitoba, Ontario, and beyond, and definitely stream or buy it for yourself at the above links!

That's all for today, but what are reviewing to end 2021 with? Despite The Din's planned live album "Technically Live" coming out on Boxing Day, I have a 6 month buffer period in place between reviews of albums from the same act to a avoid showing a bias. Albums from The Din and/or Mike solo won't be reviewed on the site like this until the spring at the earliest, but "Technically Live" is very tentatively planned for April 2022! As for next month..... I think we may be entering Room 206 to look at the long-belated work of a few Soolebrities, and details will be forthcoming on the site soon, so stay tuned for that & more news and notes on the site next month! Thanks everyone!