High. - "In a Hole"

Photo by Aleko Syntelis

As shoegaze evolves and bands discover new sounds in the genre, we start getting subgenres. New Jersey's High. play a blend of shoegaze referred to as noisegaze. Their latest single, "In a Hole," has all of the beauty and fuzz of shoegaze, but High. add a layer of sludge over the song. The song feels like it's being played at half speed, and it's as dissonant as it is gorgeous. "In a Hole" is as pummeling as it is warm and inviting, which goes along with the finest examples of the genre. It's filled with haze and jangling, distorted guitars, and some surprisingly lovely vocals. This is one of the best shoegaze releases of the year.

Lead vocalist Christian Castan says of the new song:

"’In A Hole’ is inspired by meeting our group of friends. It’s about being depressed and the people close to you dragging you out of it. It’s about the peace and belonging I used to dream about during childhood trauma and finally finding it. There's a lyric - 'These are the new stars, they burst alive.’  It's about living life at its best and never wanting that feeling to end." 

You can watch the video for "In a Hole" below. Come Back Down is due out January 25 on Kanine Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on High., check out the band on Instagram and Twitter.