High Flight Society made a splash in alternative rock circles with their 2007 self-titled debut album on RKT Records. Since the dissolution of their label, however, the quintet has opted to release new material independently, ushering in their second release, Par Avion EP.

This four-song set is short, but what's offered here is quite likeable. Starting out with the synth-laden "Give It Up," vocalist Jason Wilkes pleads for someone to show affirmation ("Could someone please just take the time/To push away their selfish pride/I'm grounded now but need to fly/Believe in me"). Continuing the same musical style is "Inhaling a Bullet," which brings us the tension of a broken relationship ("I could not breathe without inhaling a bullet/God knows I've tried/You cut me down right to my face and I took it/But now it's time/Time to put this to an end/So that I can breathe again"). "Run From Yesterday" is the most lyrically straightforward on the EP, urging listeners to move on in life and not dwell on past shortcomings. The final track, "Come On Sister," is the most personal one on the EP, offering sympathy and compassion to a hurting girl. It's completely acoustic as well; though it fits the subject matter, the instrumentation is quite simple, but it works. It's hard to find much wrong with this EP, as pretty much everything is musically and lyrically solid.

Nevertheless, I can't help but feel rather underwhelmed by this release. To be honest, there was no reason for this to be an EP. A complete full-length release would have made much more sense, considering it has been almost two years between this release and their debut. While HFS fans will undoubtedly gobble up this release with delight, a full album would have been more satisfying, both for fans and non-fans of the band. For multiple reasons, it seems more and more EPs are being released rather than full-length records, and frankly, this is upsetting. While EPs are nice appetizers to hold us over, the full album is unarguably the real deal, especially when a band has already released an album previously.

Hopefully High Flight Society will sign with another label to expand on Par Avion sometime in the future and make this a truly satisfying sophomore album. But for now, this EP makes a nice treat. Most digital outlets are offering this EP at quite reasonable prices, so fly on over to one of them and give this EP a try.

- Review date: 6/6/09, written by Roger Gelwicks of Jesusfreakhideout.com