Falsetto, harmonic choruses, and clean guitar. These are the key elements in what has become a mercurial sound, unique to indie rock and supported by universal appeal. A sound that has been captured by so many bands across the board, it is has become almost synonymous with indie success. Bands utilizing this combination have almost all blown up on the indie scene, and so, as the scripture says, another prophet has been born out of the ashes of the trifecta. Appropriately named High Highs, they are, in essence, Fleet Foxes with electronic atmospherics. Their sound is like a bittersweet letter to the listener that tears one down to a state of profound honesty, humbling one's soul. They dropped their debut self-titled High Highs EP on Sunday, and have agreed to let Earmilk stream the entire thing exclusively on the site, including a download of the opening and closing tracks.
Kicking off with "Open Season", the band relives the terms' original spirits as it delivers ambience through overwhelming percussion. The song is an overwhelming crowd pleaser, packing enough punch to thoroughly shock upon first listen. Flowing up and down, contrasting excitements throughout, the band dips from the previous songs ecstatic extremes and perseveres with with a almost ironic lethargy, delighting the listener through "Flowers Bloom". Following suit but to a more considerable extent, the EP floats down with "Ivy" before being slammed back into a dimensional stampede with the epic final track "Horses".
EARMILK: HIGH HIGHS – HIGH HIGHS EP
The EP is one of the more impressive debut pieces of work I've heard all year, and this is definitely a band worth keeping an eye on. For "I heard of these guys before they were big" Hipster Points, be sure to support your claims by following them on their: