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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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The High Strung: A Brooklyn band with more craft, less of the usual arts-fartsy
Wednesday 11 December @ 11:51:07 |
 by P.J. Morel
Don ‘t look now, but The High Strung could be the last unsigned band in Brooklyn. They ‘ve been doing this rock’n‘roll thing for a few years now, so you think that someone might have noticed them by now—scooped ‘em up and made a few bucks like they have with their friends and neighbors. That all four of these rough-rocking kids are Detroit born and bred (they even knew hot-%@!#$&-producer Jim Diamond before he was famous!) makes this band’s situation even more confounding. But the icing on the cake, the one that really has my puzzler sore, is the fact that these guys have some serious songwriting talent and a damn fine record in the can.
Truth be told, I‘ve only heard the four-song teaser EP that The High Strung have been shopping around to labels, but that’s been more than enough to earn my respect. The High Strung’s sound falls squarely into the power pop category, with catchy hooks and harmonies played loud and heavy. It’s tempting to describe them as “Beatles-eqsue,” if it weren’t for the fact that that tag is so wooden and useless. Suffice it to say that their tunes won’t break any new ground stylistically.
What they do manage to accomplish is to update a well-worn sound, the way a good designer can take an old standard like blue jeans and make them hang in a distinctly new and modern way. Songs like “Wretched Boy” (set to be included on a forthcoming Startime sampler, by-the-by) have the sort of scribbly lines that characterize post-Pavement pop. And yeah, there are little flairs that link these songs to the current garage rock revival—whoops and stomp-along beats and the like. Indeed, The High Strung cut the record with their old pal Diamond, who’s had his hands full producing hip acts since The White Stripes’ White Bloods Cells hit the streets. But the production here is absolutely fitting, capturing the visceral energy of a good, young band doing their thing; you don’t get the impression that they’re trying to climb aboard the bandwagon.
And, like I said, the songwriting is just dandy. “The World’s Smallest Violin” is a pop gem. It gets its hooks into you with the first line, its herky-jerky rhythm exciting your ass into motion before you quite know what’s happening. By the time the song reaches the breakdown and the band is just sitting there, rocking back and forth on a single note for about eight bars, you know something big is in the works. Then the band lets out a whoop (eat your heart out, David Lee Roth) and kicks it into a rollicking “Hey Jude”-style coda. Slick. The other tracks are nearly as good—the waltz-timed “It’s On” in particular.
Well, so, like I said, that’s all I have to go on: though the band has a full-length in the can, they’re only selling the EP right now. But that little document is enough to get me excited for their show at the 400 coming up this week. Check it out.
The High Strung Play with Mr. Biggins at the 400 Bar on Mon., Dec. 16. 8 p.m. $5. 21+. 400 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls. 612-332-2903.
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