The High Wire

“The High Wire’s debut is full of such glimmering, sun-kissed guitar pop that it’ll banish the blues in an instant. If you can listen to ‘Saint Bees’ rustic beauty or the Hypnotically gorgeous ‘Easy’ without cracking a smile then it’s time to consider smack.” 8/10 - NME

Facts are few: the London band’s debut album dropped into the BA postbox a month ago, shorn of the gubbins (blurb, celebrity puffs, personnel) that usually accompanies new releases – and can so raise the hackles before you’ve heard a note. In other words, the ideal but all too rare circumstances in which to listen to new music. In the High Wire’s case, this means luxuriating in psych-pop soundscapes of a billowing expansiveness that recalls MBV, Spiritualized and Mercury Rev at their most abundant. So, all we can say is: if you’re looking for the album to soundtrack your summer escapism, Ahead of the Rain is it. - The Sunday Times (UK)

This would be a very easy album to dust down all the clichés for; ethereal, shimmering, and blissful, perhaps even shoegazing. But running up that hill would definitely bring a risk of underselling it. The songs here flung me back into a past and a vision of people gone. Not because it’s retro but because it evokes nostalgia: getting proustian for a minute, it does the warm Madeleine thing. Conjuring warm, slightly strung out lazy afternoons with a beautiful baroque sensibility unheard since the demise of Kevin Junior’s marvellous Chamber Strings.

Created by Tim Crompton and realised with the help of Julian Simmons, once of Jack, and Fiona Brice, this brief collection of eight pieces is magically constructed. There’s alchemy at work turning guitars, strings and voices into sensuous washes of sound. ‘Ahead of the Rain’ is the overture leading into ‘Saint Bees’ with it’s Lennon-like inflections and Bee Gees harmonies. Robustly fragile vocals recur on ‘Rope Walking’, while ‘Hit A Low’ is like waking gradually from a dream as an orchestra tunes up and a choir sings just a little way off in the distance.

It all makes for a tantalizing sense of unheard music and it’s what draws you back again and again.

4 Stars ****
Nick West.
- RnR

... The High Wire have taken the spacey sound of The Delays, nicked the traditional instrumentation of The Poly phonic Spree and then added something that feels warm and slightly alcoholic to it.

And largely the result is remarkable. Title track ‘Ahead Of The Rain’ is shimmering in it’s ethereal majesty. An introvert instrumental piece, it certainly gives more than a nod to Radiohead’s ‘No Surprises’ yet with a musical dose of prozak as a side order. First single ‘Saint Bees’ meanwhile is a wash of hazy vocals and multiple levels of string. At times hinting at the lighter side of My Bloody Valentine this song also hides a Brit Pop twang as one of its many layers. ... (while) ‘Rope Walking’ throws Beatles-esque pop etiquette in a brooding pool of delay, and as such probably makes for the best track on the album.

The strong moments on ‘Ahead Of The Rain’ make The High Wire a force to be reckoned with. And when Tim Crompton moans on ‘Saint Bees’ that he’s “Still waiting to be seen”, with songs like these I can’t imagine he’ll be waiting long before he gains a good following.

4 Stars **** - Gigwise

More dreamy creamy hazy pop and another chance to use all the lazy words that delightful albums and fine new bands like this require – breezy, dreamy, shoe gazing bliss and glorious soft-focus delight, warm, lush, delicately orchestral, effortless (although I’m sure it wasn’t), beautifully girl-voiced bitter sweet melancholia and just so adorably good. They’re from London and this is their perfect debut album Gorgeous – - Organ

Coming complete with hazy sunshine, the drop of rain and a carefree mind liberating ethic, The High Wire’s debut album, ‘Ahead Of The Rain’ is sheer escapism that sprinkles a sunshine clothed carefree attitude with every beat.

Gently easing their way into your subconscious, The High wire unfold gracefully a relaxing dose of calming harmonies, stress free instrumental and hassle free pop that soars and winds leisurely throughout each track. Subtle to start, the London based band open with an entirely instrumental backed track in the form of album title ‘Ahead Of The Rain’ before the boy • girl vocals of ‘Saint Bees’ sweep in to knock you literally side ways. Gorgeously lush, ‘Saint Bees’ brilliantly captures the feeling of melancholy wrapped in an uplifting beat that will not allow sorrow to set in as the band effortlessly pepper the track with sunshine pop. With vocals that ooze discontent and heartache pouring out lyrics laced in sorrow, this is a track that should be heartbreaking but with The High Wire refuse to dwell on such matters, sprinkling the song with a spirited sense of hope that instantly uplifts. Indeed, ‘Ahead Of The Rain’ is for all intent and purposes a shoegazing affair, an album that is bathed in melancholy but by adding lashings of off kilter pop, The High Wire switch things, making for a softly toned dose of fuzzed out escapism that will move all. ‘Rope Walking’ finds the band unleashing an avalanche of unpretentious pop that radiates with feel good vibes, infectiously causing a bout of foot tapping along with the cheery beats.

Shimmeringly intoxicating, ‘Ahead Of The Rain’ captures the feel of a lazy afternoon simply lying in a park drenched in sunshine, with tracks like ‘You Don’t Know What I Know’ grasping for epic popscapes as layered vocal harmonies dip and soar amongst passion fuelled melodies that build to exploding point - heart poundingly moving ... (there are) so many good moments escaping through the speakers you just know you’ll be pressing the play button again before too long. Capturing the essence of Glastonbury within eight tracks, ‘Ahead Of The Rain’ will bring the festival to your doorstep with only a tent and some mud left to find.
- Rm 13