I’ll be honest - this wasn’t the record I was expecting in 2020.
If you’re new to the High Water Marks, the group was created in 2003 by Hilarie Sidney (co-founder and ex-drummer of the Apples in Stereo) and her husband Per Ole Bratset. Before Ecstasy Rhymes, the group has released two studio albums, 2004’s Songs About The Ocean, and 2007’s Polar.
The group’s fun psych-cum-power pop jams share some similarities to the Apples and their fellow Elephant 6 compatriots Circulatory System, Olivia Tremor Control, etc, but Ecstasy Rhymes blends the 90’s indie mentality with the pop of yesteryear and the guitar-rock of today. Ecstasy Rhymes is a familiar record that keeps the psych pop I loved from back in the day fresh and moving forward.
This was a total surprise when I found it; the group hasn’t released a full-length in 13 years, and with the Apples and bands of the same kin becoming less active as time moves on, this was a welcome reaction to the depressing circumstances of pandemic living in 2020. Take a minute to frolic through the flowers with the High Water Marks and let the music lift you up. I promise you won’t regret it.
