This is a bitter winter, waiting for the vaccine and Inauguration Day, the darkness before the (hopefully) dawn. But giving us a slice of summer is Hilarie Sidney. From the Elephant Six musical collective and co-founder of Apples In Stereo, Sidney’s The High Water Marks bring a sunny shine to these shady times with Ecstasy Rhymes.
As fitting of her past, Ecstasy is a decidedly bright record, the sort of upbeat garage-pop found in the sixties. That’s true for single “Can You” (QRO review) and even for the kiss-off opener “Ode To Lieutenant Glan”. Admittedly, the record as a whole comes off a bit one-note, but it’s a high note, like with the shining sway of “The Trouble With Friends” and shining garage of “Satellite”.
This last summer might have been the worst ever, the first time you’d wished that the usually best season would end, but one hopes that the summer of next year will be a rocking and joyful one. Until then, here’s The High Water Marks.
