Saturday 24 March 2012

The High Water Marks - Pretending to be Loud

The High Water Marks start their third album just like their first two - with a killer riff and giant hook. It gets better, too: It's Gonna Be A Good Year is equal parts anthemic and seductive; Satellite sets its sights on Beulah's mighty The Coast Is Never Clear; and the title track sneaks in some strings for even more atmos. This non-stop pop explosion marks three albums in 8 years for The High Water Marks. It would be greedy to ask for more. When they make a record, they press all the right buttons. Maybe they write some crap in between releases then throw it away. What you've got in Pretending to be Loud is all the good stuff.

They're not re-inventing the wheel here, but they've made an album of a-sides. This is a record that stacks of bands try to make but fail. If you like Standard Fare's leftfield-rock-meets-Fleetwood Mac, Big Troubles' college radio classics and Summer Cats' hook-heavy sunshine pop - three bands who, like The High Water Marks, get it right - then you'll love Pretending to be Loud.

It's free to download. If someone releases this on vinyl, I'm first in the queue at the record shop.

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