On High Places' myspace page, their photos are now divided between "My Photos" and "Vintage High Places." This seems significant considering that the band has a new album, High Places vs Mankind, coming out on Thrill Jockey (March 23rd). The band is willfully dividing their past and their present. This begs the obvious question: why distinguish between your past and your present? The answer is equally as obvious as the question: this new record expands the band's signature sound to include some new sounds. In fact, your reaction to this album will depend entirely on how attached you are to "vintage High Places."If you loved High Places' previous self-titled album (and the excellent singles collection 03/07 - 09/07), then there's plenty for you to continue to love on High Places vs Mankind. "The Charron" and "Drift Slayer" are classic High Places: bubbling synths percolate under washes of gorgeous sound while a tribal beat defines the structure of the song. However, at times, it seems as if the band is parodying their own style. "When It Comes, the only true weak spot on the album, actually ends with the sound of a pan flute that drips with one world consciousness bullshit.
Elsewhere, though, we get a mish-mash of styles and experiments. As an album, then, this thing is all over the place. It's hard to believe that the funk bass of "When It Comes" belongs on the same record as the ethereal "Drift Slayer." I would argue that High Places vs Mankind presents a band in the midst of an identity crisis. The pair, Rob Barber and Mary Pearson, cannot seem to decide what they want High Places to sound like anymore. From the dubby reggae of "The Most Beautiful Name" to the pretty "The Channon" to the banging "The Longest Shadows," this album is an unfocused mess of styles, only half of which are successful.
Another way of reading this album, though, is as a classic bait and switch, especially with regards to the fantastic lead single, "On Giving Up." They promise you a radical departure only for you to find out what's in the box is a re-imagining of the band's capabilities. High Places vs Mankind might not showcase an entirely new band; it's just a retooled, jacked-up, highly polished version of High Places. But I've gone back and forth about this album so many times, trying to understand the choices made by Barber and Pearson. I'm still not sure what I think of it. I certainly have my reservations, but if they could shift into making music that sounds like "On Giving Up," then I would be happy leaving the electronic psychedelia behind. But since the band seems noncommittal, then it's hard for me not to feel as divided.
Rating: 6/10
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