Smoke in the desert, eating the sand, hide in the grass

High Places - Shared Islands

High Places - Freaked Flight (Alternate Version)

So what's the Big Deal* about High Places? I like them because they're kinda like Black Dice or Growing playing super cute indie pop, I mean pop as in the cute and boppy sort of stuff; nice sounds, nice melodies. It's an endearing mix; strange sounds and liquidy textures pulsating beneath sweet girl vocals. Looks like polyrhymic shit is all the rage these days, especially if it's from Brooklyn. I don't want to stress the Black Dice comparison too much cos it's mostly totally off, but they do share a similar interest in making new sounds; interesting ones that here on 'Shared Islands' are bubbly and pleasant and bright. They've got another song called 'Banana Slugs' (amazing title!) and that's pretty much how they sound; sweet and wobbly. They sound like the Arthur Bradford story where they find an abandoned car and open the glovebox and find a giant (but cute) fluorescent slug inside. Later on, to save it from dying, the girl swallows the slug, and later, gives birth to lots of little fluoresecent slugs. Cute.

* The Big Deal being a rave review and inclusion in the 'Best New Music' section on Pitchfork. Maybe not such a big deal to some but an upcoming band being lauded by this 'indie media titan' is pretty much a guarantee of at least a shitstorm of hype that will last at least until their first release.