The High Violets - To Where You Are
By: Lindsay Bianchi | Category: Album Reviews | 01/06/06 | 10:26 AM
 |  |  Grade: B+ | Genre: Indie Pop
Summary: With two well-crafted releases behind them, and the positive buzz growing around them, The High Violets could find themselves on many playlists in the coming year.
On To Where You Are, The High Violets second long player, vocalist Kaitlyn Ni Donovan has taken over as fulltime lead vocalist, giving guitarist Clint Sargent the freedom to concentrate on building a thick canvas of sound for the singer to set her wispy voice against. The result is something that would be at home next to copies of old Curve, Slowdive, Lush or Cocteau Twins releases. More pop friendly than any of those bands ever managed to be; The High Violets seem poised to make indie/pop crossover history. |
The songs have an immediate appeal with their mix of melody and psychedelic edginess. Things never get too weird, but tend to rest solidly at the edge of the abyss. The combination of heavy, chiming guitars and electronic keyboard flourishes float over the assured drumming of Ben Nugent. Still, it is Sargent's layered guitars that are the standout feature of The High Violets. Those who like to dive into a sea of shimmering sound will enjoy a dip or two with The High Violets.
Donovan makes a good tour guide through these aural landscapes. Her voice compliments the songs instead of being drowned by them like many of this particular genre's ranks tend to do. Yes, the music is pretty, even feminine at times, but the boys in the band keep things well-grounded in pure rock. On "Noctural," the albums one instrumental track, Donovan's soft cooing floats away on a cool guitar/bass riff that's both tripped out and dance friendly.
Things get back to the power pop influences of bands like Garbage and Voice Of The Beehive with the up-tempo "Cool Green." The High Violets take lies somewhere between those two groups, without the fangs of Shirley Manson or Beehive's near-airhead approach. "Want You," continues the groove adding more keyboard flourishes sounding like the otherworldly later work of The Spacemen 3 such as "Big City."
Overall, To Where You Are gives their fans new and old a healthy dose of their soft and hard sides expertly mixed together.
"X-tacy" has a rockier edge lending the second half of the record a big, celebratory sound for what has already blasted past. On the final "title cut," things slow down a bit letting the music build, a dreamy melody builds as Donovan sings, "Feel my light up to where you are." Although the vocalist may be the only one who knows exactly what that might mean, the listener will not argue.
After all, has anyone ever understood anything that Elizabeth Frazer of The Cocteau Twins has sung about? I doubt it. However, it's never stopped the legendary 4AD pioneers from being appreciated. When all is said and done, the real test is if the music grabs you, takes hold of you, and begs to be played again. With two well-crafted releases behind them, and the positive buzz growing around them, The High Violets could find themselves on many playlists in the coming year.
Release Date: January 30, 2006
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