The High Water Marks - Consult The Oracle

 

This is a celebration of a great band and a great label. The High Water Marks have been around for two decades, but it is through the 2020s that they have become almost prolific. This coincided with the move from a two piece to a quartet,

Any band with Hilarie Sydney is going to be interesting with the Elephant 6 and Apples In Stereo credentials and that duo with Per Ole Bratset provided wonderful if sporadic results. Both are splendid vocalist and whether separate, duetting or joint, they have a way of bewitching you.

The addition of Logan Miller and Oystein Megard has allowed the band to become a formidable unit. Megard may be the drummer, but he is also a multi instrumentalist and his raiding of the instrument cupboard just adds to joy.

The band also a myriad of styles from Indie Pop to Glasgow Guitar Pop, 80s Indie to Psych Pop and all perfectly arranged and performed. The fact that there are two great vocalists just enhances the quality of the songs rather than being the be all and end all.

There is a mellow feel to the songs vocally, Sydney in particular has the voice of an angel, but the arrangements can lead to anything whether it be pace, drive or wistful. There is at times, some wonderful Jangle Pop and everything sounds so chipper.

This is a band at the top of their game, few can match what they come up. This is also an album to listen to from start to finish, hence me unusually not describing any of the songs. A special mention for Álvaro Lissón too. His Meritorio Records Label never ever fails to delight.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on Vinyl and as a download.

.............................

The High Water Marks - Proclaimer Of Things

 

I have Darrin from JanglePopHub to thank for being turned on to The High Water Marks, but please don't tell him that I've been praising him. I feel really guilty because I loved Hilaire Sydney in Apples In Stereo, but lost touch of her career.

Now based in Norway with husband, Per Ole Bratset, the pair are joined by Logan Miller and Øystein Megård to form the quartet. Indie Guitar Pop is at the heart of what they do, but that isn't the half of it. Sydney is such a talented songwriter and that shines through and the album progresses through a number of genres across these 13 songs.

She also has the voice of an angel, a vocal that reminds me a lot of Lindsay Murray of Gretschen's Wheel. Female led Guitar Pop can occasionally be either too twee or too shouty. There's not a bit of that here and the vocals of Bratset add even more to the variety.

When you listen to the opener, The Best Day, you think this is going to be a Power Pop album, well only Someone's Song falls into the same category. We Are Going To Kentucky has a real Brit Pop Jangle and Twang whilst Jenny is Glasgow Indie Jangle of the highest order.

The whole album sounds so perky and upbeat, big riffs and some fine Guitar solos whilst always remaining Chorus hooked. Bratset's vocal on Fantastic Machine is wonderfully Pastoral Pop with an added killer Bassline. The title track is Fuzz of the highest order.

But what stands out most are the ventures into Psych Pop. Dust And Guitars has a Psych riff to die for, it knocks the spots off many in the genre. Then there's The Origin Of Names, a mesmerising 5 minutes that rocks your socks off. Proclaimer Of Things will be up there at the end of year awards. It is astonishingly great.

................................