"A four-piece psychedelic pop band based in Brooklyn". Well we've been here before haven't we? Except with High Pines the story is a little different and takes in places far away from the USA's trendiest musical borough. They were initially formed as a solo project by Caribbean-born Leo Lugo, and it was a further four years before the second member Maxx Loup joined, having spent much time travelling around Europe and South America and studying African music. With Felipe Torres and Andrey Kisselev completing the line-up the quartet, and that eclectic mix of influences, readied their debut EP 'We Are Humans'. Much of the music that makes up these five songs is familiar western experimental indie fare, but less common sounds do creep in and make the band's sound just a little different from the norm.
'All Around' has a misty psych sound that has its roots in the European experimenters of the 70's as much as American flower-power, it's probably the most accessible song here but not necessarily the best. 'Internal Channel' is a brief interlude of little more than some Latin-inflicted guitar that swiftly gives way to the gently simmering 'I Haven't Seen It All' with its surprisingly bouncy chorus. More exotic sounds are subtly speckled throughout the lovely 'Lights Out' on which they play around with the rhythm a little more. The hypnotic 'I Walk With You' is the sound of Spacemen 3's mellower moments given a modern twist. This is a terrific first outing for a band with clear talent and ambition and it's fairly difficult to fault. Maybe if they could use a few more of the unconventional sounds they've absorbed they could create something even more magical.
High Pines' website
Stream or download the EP
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