ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT |11B
The New Paltz Oracle
High Places Fail to Soar to New Heights FANS COULD BE UNDERWHELMED BY BAND’S RECENT UNIQUE EFFORT By Peter Spengemen Contributing Writer | Peter.spengeman94@newpaltz.edu
High Places Vs. Mankind, the third full-length album from Brooklyn-based band High Places, is a predictable release for this experimental duo. High Places has created such a unique sound for themselves that their predictability has become self-inflicted -- no one in the indie rock world sounds closely similar to High Places, so the sound they have coined is theirs alone. But instead of using the word predictable in a critical way, let’s first acknowledge the interesting fact that High Places pushed themselves to expand musically, that they are the lone pioneers in a vast territory seldom travelled by other indieexperimentalists. High Places is one of the most eyebrow raising bands out there -- comprised of multi-instrumentalist Rob Barber and chilling vocalist Mary Pearson, they compensate for their lack of members with tricky loops, vocal effects and a multitude of zany instruments. Aside from synths, Barber has played Kalimba, bells, various shakers, guitars and household items such as wood blocks or plastic bags. Coupled with Pearson’s lyrics, mostly involving the beauty of nature and our distant yet significant place in the cosmos, it gives their sound an endearing quality. The rhythms are semi-sporadic and give the music its earthy vibe. Unlike previous efforts, High Places Vs. Mankind has less stand out tracks, but the album as a whole feels more coherent. There are songs that are devoted to pop (“On Giving Up”), some devoted to drone/noise (“Drift Slayer”), and others that are more folktronica. But there is a constant element throughout every song that ties the whole piece together. On track opener, “The Longest Shadows”,
we are met with a pop-influenced bass line over choppy electronic rhythms and sounds. Throughout the song, different instruments float in and out making it diverse, and when Pearson’s vocals come in, they float above everything else, creating spacial sounds from another world. The mood on High Places vs. Mankind is much darker than their self-titled album. The tempos are much slower; they substitute their usually upbeat rhythms with slower, stomping rhythms which make some songs drone. This isn’t to say that the album lacks upbeat, pop-like songs -- the tribal closer, “When it Comes” displays
drowned out vocals under heavy filters, over a beat that imitates 80s dance pop. Barber does a great job on combining electronic and organic drums to make the rhythms, giving High Places its innovative sound. For fans of the band, High Places Vs. Mankind may not be overwhelmingly thrilling, but shouldn’t be a disappointment. The duo has proved they are consistent, putting out a solid album every release. For others, this album would be a fair introduction to the band’s full catalog, and offer a peculiar starting point for favoring the band’s avant-garde style.
Making Music History Rihanna is putting the deep, hard beats of her music into her own hands by learning to play the drums -- and she’s hired the best possible instructor: Blink-182 sticksman Travis Barker.
:: The Strokes are working on their fourth studio album, their first since 2006’s First Impressions of Earth, but singer Julian Casablancas is keeping his distance from his bandmates in the studio.
:: Tom Hanks will continue to flex his muscles as a Hollywood producer with yet another foray into movie musicals: The Oscar-winning actor is in talks to bring the musical version of Green Day’s 2004 punk rock opus, American Idiot, to the big screen.
:: David Byrne revealed that he and St. Vincent’s Annie Clark have been working on a project together.
:: High Places debut their third full-length album.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MYSPACE.COM
Moxham to Mohonk’s Top 10 Albums of the Week 1. Raising Sand - Robert Plant and Alison Krauss 2. One Fine Color - The Ryan Montbleau Band 3. Gossip in the Grain - Ray LaMontagne 4. Yonder is the Clock The Felice Brothers 5. Heretic Pride - Mountain Goats
6. Blood Bank EP - Bon Iver 7. Outer South - Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band 8. You Think It’s Like This But Really It’s Like This - Mirah 9. Consolers of the Lonely - The Raconteurs 10. Northern Lights-Southern Cross The Band
List compiled by DJ Em. Her show is every Wednesday night from 5 to 6 p.m.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
When a pianist named “Merton” began improvising piano ditties for the people he encountered on Chatroulette and posted the clips on YouTube, many speculated that the hooded performer was actually Ben Folds performing in disguise. Folds’ publicist finally denied the singer is the Chatroulette star. Merton’s video description was later updated, reiterating that he is not Folds.
:: Ever since Conan O’Brien was kicked off “The Tonight Show” stage, there’s been a certain missing feeling going around. But Team Coco can rejoice as the big-haired comedian is plotting a North American tour described as “a night of music, comedy, hugging and the occasional awkward silence” called “The Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour.” All information derived from Rollingstone. com, Pitchfork.com and Spin.com.