High Places

High Places | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Thrill Jockey
• ASIN: B001CVCBD0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,580 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The debut full-length following a series of sold out 7-inch singles and the "03/07 - 09/07" CD which compiled said singles and all the band's early material. Their signature sound comes from bass-heavy, yet crisp beats, lilting vocal melodies, syncopated rhythmic lines performed on folk percussion instruments, guitar duets turned into treated samples, and percussive lines created from the manipulation of household objects. Both CD and LP are presented in old-style tip-on gatefold jackets. LP contains a coupon for free MP3 download and the first 1,000 copies are pressed on gray vinyl.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What do you get when you cross a bassoon performance major and a lithography teacher?, November 6, 2008

By 

David M. Madden "nonnon/dj_webern" (salt lake, utah United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: High Places (Audio CD)

What do you get when you cross a bassoon performance major and a lithography teacher? That isn't a joke - that's the duo Mary Pearson and Rob Barber aka High Places, a pair whose seemingly disparate influences yield a very interesting result of melodic lyricism and blotchy, coloring-outside-the-lines collage work. Pearson's vocals, offering subject matter that often reads as childlike and nursery rhyme-esque, meet a barrage of panned hand drums and kitchen sink percussion, murky samples (the soaring counter-melody from Kate Bush's "Woman's Work" is cleverly integrated into the broke-down drum `n' bass of "From Stardust to Sentience"), island-meets-hip-hop dubby rhythms (i.e. steel drums, marimba) and delayed psychedelics, a perfect compliment to keep the record away from saccharine sweetness. "Fun" is not always the most positive descriptive, but that's what goes through your head during these ten tracks; they must have been as enjoyable to make as they are to listen to.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best of 2008, September 29, 2008

By 

SDK - See all my reviews

This review is from: High Places (Audio CD)

High Places recorded this entire album at home. The quality, warmth and integrity that went into this gem exceeded all my exceptions track after track. There's something to be said about a band that can create a such a new sound, a new new voice for the scene. It's not just the originality but the honestness and sense of self that lets this duo shine. High Places gets better the more you listen to it.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ....... brilliant., September 30, 2008

By 

Marvin Carey (Orem, Ut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: High Places (Audio CD)

Perhaps the most beautiful piece I've played this much since Panda Bear's "Person Pitch", Brooklyn's High Places' debut is a soft spoken, ambient, optimistic, miracle of an album. Full of layered sound-scapes and child-like innocence (best suited for headphones or ear-buds), the duo have a aesthetic essence about them; in fact, it wouldn't be too far off to categorize the music as "other/spiritual". On the self titled full-length, the band further exposes their unique brand of eclectic brilliance. Tracks like "Gold Coin" and "Vision's The First..." are upbeat and light, while beautiful sleepers like "From Stardust To Sentence", "Papaya Year", and "Golden" are down right intoxicating (in a good way). All together the album is in awesome standing; boasting only 10 tracks. Once you've listened to the last one, you'll be ready to hear the first one again....... and again....... and yeah, even again.