Critics — and even the band’s own press materials — label The High Violets’ music as “pop,” “shoe-gazing,” or “British-inspired.” However, these musicians’ sounds far transcend the realm of any prescribed style. In
fact, they may not even inhabit the same galaxy.
Demos from the recent release, “44 down,” reveal out-of-this-world, glistening vocals and swoon-worthy guitars. Tracks like “44 Down” and “FA” prove ethereal and haunting — a combination that renders the songs slippery and difficult for the mind to grasp. The High Violets experience leaves the listener with a dreamy aftertaste — a sort of first-kiss déjà vu that makes one wonder if it really happened at all. The band’s secret lies in this drifting, mirage-like mood it so deftly creates.
Layered guitars, drums and soft vocals produce aesthetically pleasing waves of sound alive with meaningful, albeit muted, lyrics. Light and sound shower from the speakers in a gentle explosion. Although the tracks are somewhat homogenous, listeners won’t tire of these songs easily. The sound is capable of bypassing numerous musical boundaries, pleasing fans of various genres.
Publications such as The Oregonian and Willamette Week have showered the band with praise, and national acclaim is sure to follow. Fans who already own the album “44 down” are probably craving more, and the group plans to deliver a new full-length record in the near future.
In the meantime, the musicians are relatively easy to see live in this area. The four-member group, together for three years now, hails from Portland. They play in the city often and frequent the rest of Oregon, as well as nearby states. The High Violets will perform Jan. 23 at John Henry’s, at 8:30 p.m. If the band’s live appearance is half as enchanting as its recorded music, the experience promises to be a truly enlightening one indeed.