High School is a 2022 studio album by American comedian and pop rock singer-songwriter Tim Heidecker, released on Spacebomb Records. The album is themed around Heidecker's experiences of adolescence and young adulthood[3] and has received positive reviews from critics.

High School
A black-and-white photo of Heidecker playing guitar
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 24, 2022 (2022-06-24)
Genre
Length39:51
LanguageEnglish
LabelSpacebomb Records
Producer
Tim Heidecker chronology
Fear of Death
(2020)
High School
(2022)
Live in Boulder
(2023)

"This one started feeling like I wanted to make a counterpoint to the Fear of Death record sonically, in terms of not as many bells and whistles. It's not as sonically big or lush or live-sounding, which I think is great. I was like, 'The smart move is to do almost an acoustic record, a small record, like Tunnel of Love or Full Moon Fever or something,' which is almost like a garage record."

—Heidecker on the sound of High School[2]

Reception

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Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4 out of 5 stars, with critic Mark Deming writing that "High School is full of bittersweet tales of awkwardness, uncertainty, and poor decisions" and that Heidecker's writing has "parts [that] are quite funny, but most of High School is more than a bit rueful, less a celebration of the glories of youth than scattered memories of parking lot fights neither party wanted to happen, indulging in low-level decadence while wondering about that war on the other side of the world, and the nagging question of whether things are ever going to get better".[4] Andy Crump of No Depression stated that this album "feels like a natural progression of Heidecker's development as an artist, an album shaped around a contrast between vulnerability and buoyancy", reflecting his growing seriousness as a songwriter.[5] In Paste, Brianna Zigler scored this release a 6.5 out of 10, considering it a step down from the more experimental and textured Fear of Death released in 2020, consequently being "less perceptive and less honest".[1] Editors at Pitchfork scored this release 7.5 out of 10 and critic Sam Sodomsky summed up that it "glows with the hard-earned belief that someone, somewhere could hear his story and reach the same epiphany about their own future".[6]

Track listing

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All songs written by Tim Heidecker.

  1. "Buddy" – 4:19
  2. "Chillin' in Alaska" – 4:29
  3. "Future Is Uncertain" – 3:59
  4. "Get Back Down to Me" – 4:21
  5. "I've Been Losing" – 2:55
  6. "Punch in the Gut" – 3:22
  7. "Stupid Kid" – 5:29
  8. "Sirens of Titan" – 3:28
  9. "What Did We Do with Our Time" – 4:29
  10. "Kern River" – 3:05

Personnel

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Zigler, Brianna (June 24, 2022). "Tim Heidecker: 'High School' Album Review". Music > Reviews > Tim Heidecker. Paste. ISSN 1540-3106. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  2. ^ Skolnik, JJ (July 22, 2022). "Tim Heidecker Goes Back to "High School"". Bandcamp Daily. Bandcamp. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  3. ^ Simon, Scott; Radcliffe, Michael (July 9, 2022). "Tim Heidecker reaches into the depths of his past on new album 'High School'". Music Interviews. Weekend Edition. NPR. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  4. ^ Deming, Mark (n.d.). "High School – Tim Heidecker". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  5. ^ Crump, Andy (June 23, 2022). "With Honesty and Wisdom, Tim Heidecker Looks Back on 'High School'". Reviews. No Depression. ISSN 1088-4971. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  6. ^ Sodomsky, Sam (June 27, 2022). "Tim Heidecker: High School Album Review". Albums. Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
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