The High Wire – The Sleep Tape (2010) [Grandpa Stan] // Grade: A

I hadn’t heard of The High Wire in advance of this review. The London trio make music that is quite easily mistaken as American, following in the tradition of the sweeping alt-country of Band of Horses. But if you listen closely you’ll start to hear the hints of shoegaze and the two references combine beautifully on their first full length record, The Sleep Tape. I gave my first listen to their debut on a morning where I was awake before the sun had even risen. I watched the dawn begin to break through my windows and it was one of those moments where you know you’re experiencing a piece of music in the absolute perfect frame of reference.

As the album name suggests, The Sleep Tape is full of dreamy male/female vocal harmonies and expansive instrumentation. “A Future Ending” puts hazy guitar work reminiscent of Teenage Fanclub on display while “Letting In The Light” favors a slowly paced Southern acoustic sound. I can hear little hints of so many of the bands I love across The Sleep Tape. My Bloody Valentine, Explosions in the Sky and even Oasis make stylistic appearances. Every track makes use of a slightly different reference point, but united through bouts of shimmering melody and a drifting aura, they play off one another with the same magic as the dreams that poke through your sleep.

The Sleep Tape is an album I’ll surely come back to time and again. It was a total surprise, full of genuine sentiment and gorgeous sounds. I sincerely hope people catch onto The High Wire. They’re a band that truly deserves to find success.