Considering it is 1230 in the afternoon on a weekday 27 Union Square West, CMJ's very own basement club is busy. KEXP-FM, a Seattle college station, is on the air, people are milling around, rock bands are having their pictures taken, and all things are mellowing out on stage where the duo the high Highs (no drummer today) are playing modern folk melodies for a modest but enthusiastic audience of college.The Australian duo, represented by Elton John's Rocket Music, are a quietly ambitious folk band, but folk band 2012 style, which means the lead singer and acoustic guitarist Jack Milas has the sweet soprano of a certain member of Bon Iver and synth player and PC handler Oli Change is the main instrumentalist.
Neither performer are what I would dub wild populists, on their Facebook page they name "Silence" as their influence and I sincerely believe them,.. And on stage Jack hardly says a word and he is the absolute life of the party! Oli stared at his keyboards for the entire , admittedly short, set.
Still, the songs have strong and clever melodies and the synth can make the keyboards have an Church like glaze. And Jack has a lovely voice. Two songs waiting to see the light of day on their debut album next year, "White Water" and "Water In the House" exemplified their contemplative, ambient folkiness. Lovely stuff, no Wonder Elton is interested.
Grade: B