Stop doing what you’re doing and listen to High Spirits

Okay, in all honesty sometimes we miss some pretty great local releases when they come out and just get to (hopefully) cover the subsequent touring following a release. Well, this is sort of like that — but sadly, not enough of the later.

I’m talking about High Spirits here — and specifically their most recent Bandcamp release, The High Spirits Family Band’s Summer Singles, which was recorded several years ago (but released early last month) before the High Spirits we know today existed.

High Spirits latest Bandcamp release The High Spirits Family Band’s Summer Singles

It’s okay to say you haven’t seen or heard High Spirits live — but you should. I’ve had the chance to see them twice — once at Mayo Streets Arts Center with Video Nasties.

Oh, and another time when they absolutely destroyed it as one of the supporting acts for that band we all love: Swearin’. High Spirits live shows often break into long, hypnotic grooves — at times sounding like a 21st century ode to the Velvet Underground’s “Sister Ray” that even the most fickle cassette collectors will appreciate.

While most of the later High Spirits material breaks into a hypnotic post-punk drum and bass groove with guitar thematics aplenty (and highly welcome) right now I’m here to talk about their most recent Bandcamp releasee The High Spirits Family Band’s Summer Singles.

An absolute tribute to the sun-drenched rhythms of of 1960s surf-rock – mixed with the wall-of-sound Jesus And Mary Chain, and the early maturity present in early REM albums. Yes, The High Spirits Family Band’s Summer Singles was a brighter sidestep to the usual gloom of their fully-actualized records but it’s a beautiful and more laid-back sidestep that I hope they consider in their quick revisit to 2010.

So honestly, stop doing to what you’re doing to — and head over to High Spirits Bandcamp page, specifically The High Spirits Family Band’s Summer Single album page — and give it a listen. It’s a pretty quick listen, and then you can go back go back to watching that illegal stream of Mad Men‘s season premier that we all know you’re watching.

And hey — Swearin’, come back soon, or Cassie Ramone. If only a local venue booker was reading this — if only.