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The High Wire - The Sleep Tape

Album Reviews

If ever there was a case of the production saving an album from being one hell of a letdown, this would be it.

If ever there was a case of the production saving an album from being one hell of a letdown, this would be it. The major problem with London group The High Wire's 2008 debut was that there was simply not enough substance behind the hazy guitars and lush arrangements. The band worked better as a live proposition than they did on record, which is why we admittedly approached 'The Sleep Tape' with more than a little apprehension.

Our fears were unfounded. As so many were expecting them to do, the trio (comprised of Tim Crompton, Stuart Peck and Alexia Hagen) have upped their game, in a major way. A good part of that is due to the production and mixing, on which the band worked with Rik Simpson, who has worked with such luminaries as Portishead and Coldplay (the latter of which, incidentally, the band supported on the arena-rock superstars' tour of the UK and Ireland in 2008).

They have become focused, incredibly so - and it shows. This is a wide-eyed, widescreen and wonderful record, its bright, sparkling melodies adding a whole new dimension to the band's sound. The opener is current single 'The Midnight Bell', which draws the listener in from the get-go with its hook, a seven-bar string ostinato, before blossoming into a beautiful slice of dream pop, its chorus of 'I don't want to fight with you, just to make it right with you' worthy of Coldplay themselves.

The up-tempo 'Hang From the Lights' recalls The Verve, its gentle, pulsing rhythms meshing with acoustic guitars and Hammond organs to superb effect. One highlight comes early in the form of the album's title track. Bass-driven and quite infectious, it builds, through the entry of drums and harmonised backing vocals, to a euphoric climax.

Its successor, the instrumental 'Honeycomb' provides a perfect contrast, bringing to mind a more chilled-out Radiohead, with an assertive performance from the rhythm section.

Handclaps and fuzz-laden guitar introduce blissed-out lead single 'Odds and Evens'. Crompton and Hagen share lead vocals over keyboard backing, and there's another impressive chorus in tow. Organs reappear again for 'It's No Secret', an affecting tale of unrequited love, the closest the group come to, say, Snow Patrol territory. The emotion reaches a crescendo in the song's chorus: 'Yesterday, yes, I was kissing someone new / But, my baby, I wish I was kissing you / Said my goodbyes, but I can't shake you from my mind'.

The band are at home when creating pure pop songs, but aren't afraid to rock out either. 'A Future Ending' moves into shoegaze (the sound of a guitar being plugged in at the start of the track is rather telling), and once again brings Radiohead to mind, though this time, it's their more windswept and epic incarnation.

The album finishes very strongly indeed with the waltzing, anthemic 'Pump Your Little Heart' (choice lyric: 'Keeping no-one around now that two is a crowd') and the dreamy soundscapes of 'Bodyclocks', a track that ensures 'The Sleep Tape' ends on a high.

The band have most definitely proved their worth, and have shown us that they intend to stick around for a while. And we would be glad to have them, as this debut indicates that, far from being a one-trick pony, The High Wire have quite a lot of ideas indeed up their sleeves. Rating: 8/10