Open Season

Open Season

Though High Highs aren’t the first to weave dream-pop with nu-folk, they definitely do it better than most groups. Oli Chang and Jack Milas are the Brooklyn duo, whose 2013 debut album starts with the piano-heavy “Dey.” “Milan” follows, setting a proper tone with ethereal guitar effects subtly reminiscent of David Gavurin's stunning six-string work on The Sundays' 1990 debut, Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. Milas’ androgynous vocals complement all the gauzy guitar wash, especially with double-tracked harmonies in the equation. He coos like Slowdive-era Neil Halstead in the pillowy “Flowers Bloom” before “White Water” dials down the shoegazing effects for the rich resonance of acoustic guitar tones balanced against Milas’ heavily reverbed singing. With peppy refrains and symphonic, uplifting melodies, the handsome title track has less in common with 20th-century shoegazers and more with post-millennial nu-gazing bands like Beach House and Best Coast.

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