Heavenly Highway To Heavenly
Heavenly's Highway To Heavenly returns the band to a lovingly crafted facet of indie pop where grief and defiance sit side by side, and critics largely agree the record's strengths lie in its tunefulness and emotional clarity. Across seven professional reviews that yield a 78.43/100 consensus score, reviewers repeatedl
Portland Town is the album’s initial standout, introducing new material full of anger, grief and empathy.
The album's core strengths are harmonized backing vocals and slick, tasteful production, though hooks are scarce.
Best for listeners looking for indiepop revival and gender-politics, starting with That Last Day and Scene Stealing.
Full consensus notes
Heavenly's Highway To Heavenly returns the band to a lovingly crafted facet of indie pop where grief and defiance sit side by side, and critics largely agree the record's strengths lie in its tunefulness and emotional clarity. Across seven professional reviews that yield a 78.43/100 consensus score, reviewers repeatedly point to vivid standouts such as “Scene Stealing”, “That Last Day” and “Press Return” as the album's most memorable moments. Those tracks balance wistful melodies with sharper, topical lyrics, answering the question of what the best songs on Highway To Heavenly are with specific, recurring examples.
The critical consensus emphasizes melodic craftsmanship and nostalgic indie pop songwriting tempered by topical bite and polished production. Several critics praise “Scene Stealing” and “Skep Wax” for marrying sweetness with darker subject matter, while “That Last Day” earns repeated notice for its intimate handling of bereavement. Praise centers on the band's ability to vary style - from punk-tinged bursts on “Excuse Me” to disco-leaning propulsion on “A Different Beat” - though a few reviewers argue hooks sometimes flirt with near-miss territory rather than securing instant replay value.
Taken together, professional reviews paint Highway To Heavenly as a warmly received comeback that trades easy nostalgia for careful reinvention: critics consistently commend its melodic strengths, thematic depth - grief, memory, and anti-machismo - and moments of emotional exactness, while acknowledging occasional lapses in immediacy. For readers asking is Highway To Heavenly good, the consensus score and repeated track recommendations suggest it is a worthwhile, often rewarding return to form that rewards repeated listens and close attention.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
That Last Day
4 mentions
"The closing cut, “That Last Day,” tackles the subject of grief, turning a moment of laughter at a funeral into a recurring and hopeful motif."— Pitchfork
Deflicted
1 mention
"Deflicted is one of those classic Heavenly relationship songs which takes some working out."— Louder Than War
Portland Town
3 mentions
"Last year when the first single from this album ‘ Portland Town ‘ was released, its effervescent joy was a sign that this album would be something special"— God Is In The TV Zine
Opening track "Scene Stealing" comes close, as a hint of a hook can be found buried within the crisp pop
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Scene Stealing
Portland Town
Press Return
Skep Wax
Deflicted
Excuse Me
A Different Beat
Good Times
The Neverseen
She Is The One
That Last Day
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 7 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Heavenly return on Highway To Heavenly sounding like themselves and better than ever, blending anger, grief and joy into irresistible pop. The reviewist singles out “Portland Town” and “Excuse Me” as vivid highlights, praising the band’s mix of punk energy and melodic craft. He celebrates the album’s slower side too, noting “The Neverseen” and “She Is The One” for their plaintive echoes and emotional detail. The tone is affectionate, admiring and slightly combative - this is a triumphant comeback for a quietly influential band.
Key Points
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Portland Town is the album’s initial standout, introducing new material full of anger, grief and empathy.
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Highway To Heavenly showcases Heavenly’s strengths: melodic indiepop craft, political bite and emotional range.
Themes
Go
Critic's Take
Heavenly return with Highway To Heavenly and it feels like a joyous homecoming, full of sharp pop hooks and wry observations. The reviewer's voice delights in the effervescence of “Portland Town” while praising the album's opener “Scene Stealing” for being sweet, upbeat and danceable with an edge. He singles out “Excuse Me” as a charming celebration of teenage romance, and notes the vivid, poignant closing of “That Last Day” which handles bereavement with startling intimacy. Overall the critic frames these as the best tracks on Highway To Heavenly, each proving why this reunion record is one helluva final chapter.
Key Points
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The best songs, like "Portland Town" and "Scene Stealing", pair effervescence with sharp, empathetic lyrics that define the album's strengths.
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Core strengths are catchy indiepop melodies, anti-machismo themes, and vivid emotional storytelling, notably around bereavement and adolescent romance.
Themes
Critic's Take
In this reviewer's view, Heavenly's Highway To Heavenly delivers the best songs with both fondness and invention, notably “That Last Day” and “A Different Beat”. The voice is fond and admiring, insisting the return is more than a nostalgia trip and praising the band for marrying disco pulse and tender indie-pop on “A Different Beat” while calling “That Last Day” an "absolutely gutting" exploration of grief. The account keeps a conversational affection - naming bright, jangly highs and surprising curveballs - and answers readers wondering what the best tracks on Highway To Heavenly are by pointing to those moving, rousing standouts and the jagged disco of “Press Return” as equally essential listens.
Key Points
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The best song is "That Last Day" because it delivers profound grief with a light touch and novel arrangements.
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The album's core strength is tuneful indie-pop refreshed by genre experiments and confident performances.
Themes
mu
Critic's Take
Heavenly return feels both tender and wry on Highway To Heavenly, and the best songs - especially “Skep Wax” and “Scene Stealing” - crystallize that tension between sweetness and sorrow. Jude Noel’s voice finds the album most affecting when its hooks carry uncomfortable stories, so “Skep Wax” becomes the record’s centerpiece with its irresistible chorus and feverish verses. At the same time “Scene Stealing” reboots darker territory from earlier work, pairing a precious synth solo with stark subject matter, which is exactly the contrast that makes the best tracks on Highway To Heavenly linger. The closer “That Last Day” turns grief into a recurring hopeful motif, rounding out a comeback that feels intentionally grown-up and emotionally exacting.
Key Points
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“Skep Wax” is best because its hooks, shifting sections, and chorus make it the album's emotional and musical centerpiece.
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The album’s core strength is pairing sugary melodies with dark, specific storytelling to create emotional depth.
Themes
Critic's Take
Heavenly return with Highway To Heavenly, a spry, biting collection where concise storytelling and tuneful hooks make for the best songs on the album. The review highlights “Press Return” as a pointed condemnation and “A Different Beat” as a powerful tale of coercion, both standing out for their topical bite and melodic clarity. It also singles out “Excuse Me” as the most punk-driven track, a direct blast of youthful charm that showcases the band’s range. Overall, the best tracks on Highway To Heavenly balance lyrical sharpness with elegant pop craft, making the album a welcome return.
Key Points
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Press Return is the best song for its sharp, topical condemnation delivered in compact storytelling.
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The album’s core strengths are concise, tuneful indie-pop songs that combine feminist themes with stylistic variety.
Themes
Critic's Take
Heavenly sound on the move on Highway To Heavenly, a polished record whose prettiness often substitutes for bite. The reviewer's eye rests on bright moments like “Scene Stealing” and “Excuse Me” that flirt with hooks but never quite latch, so the best songs on Highway To Heavenly feel like near-misses rather than certainties. The harmonized backing vocals and slick production make these the album's most agreeable features, and they are what lift tracks such as “Scene Stealing” above the pleasantly forgettable rest. In short, the best tracks on this record reward fans of twee and polished indie pop, but they rarely demand repeat plays.
Key Points
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The best song, "Scene Stealing", is highlighted for nearly finding a hook amid crisp pop production.
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The album's core strengths are harmonized backing vocals and slick, tasteful production, though hooks are scarce.