Highspire - Your Everything
(Clairecords)
Over four years, 15 members, three labels and two continents after E.J. Hagen and Alex White formed Philadelphia shoegazers, Highspire, it is a pleasure to finally announce the release of their debut full-length, a co-release from California indies Claire and ToneVendor and German shoegaze specialists, Alison. It was well worth the wait, as the symphonic wall-of-sound that the trio (including Ron Snyder) produce is favorably evocative of similar efforts from British cult faves Slowdive, Chapterhouse and Ride, as well as local Psychedelphians like Transient Waves and Asteroid #4. This is in part, no doubt, attributable to the fact that all three contribute guitars, samples, programming and keyboards. Vocalist White's occasionally effeminate vocals recall, at times, the ethereal whispered utterings of Ride's Mark Gardner, particularly on "Believe," a track which originally appeared on the Br-italian shoegaze bible, Losing Today's Orange Pop comp from back in 2001. (Note to xenophobes: you'll have to bite the bullet if you missed it the first time around, as it only appears on the German Alison edition of the CD.)
Most of the tracks are winners, with special attention due to the catchy, swaying chorus of "Fade In A Day" the aggressive "Shattered," with its surreal imagery of "vomiting true love," "drinking banana bleach" and "bleeding smoke rings" and the cool, jazzy instrumental interlude, "Sub-Par Life, A Brilliant Death." Only the aloof, trip-hoppy electronics of "Portsmouth" and "No Day Like Today" disappoint. But these are quickly overshadowed by the aggressive, motorik drumming of current member Kevin Fassett on "Vesperbell" and the swirling pop psychedelia of "Glass In My Mouth," which is vintage Charlatans, ca. Some Friendly (i.e., back when they were great at copying The Stone Roses) and will also appeal to fans of Pacific Northwest psychedeviants, such as Portland's Dandy Warhols and Seattle's Voyager One.
Now that they've got the all-important debut under their belts, it'll be interesting to see what they come up with next. Nine different members played on these recordings, and a tenth (Isaac Betesh) is listed in the "current Highspire lineup" in the credits. Having previously recruited members from as far away as Alabama and California and having even briefly relocated to New York to attempt to make a go of it, it remains to be seen and heard what will become of future efforts. Also, the rhythm section on three of the album's better tracks ("Fade In A Day," "Shattered" and "Glass In My Mouth") has moved on, so the next release may have a completely different vibe. But the one at hand is one of this year's best and will be garnering continued spins around these parts.
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