High in Place: Vinyl LP

Description

Includes digital download code.

When EZTV lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Ezra Tenenbaumsings, “Facedown on the concrete, While I dream of wider streets” on‘States Of Confusion’ you can hear weariness in his voice and a touchof wistful ‘what if’ longing for more room, a little less hassle, a fewmore trees… maybe even a garage to park the 8-track machine.

The shining ‘High Flying Faith’ – the first song written for the album -is a refutation of urban weariness, its title perhaps acting as amakeshift motto for the optimism (and stubbornness) that is key toNew York bands like EZTV. Inspired by the lyrics of ‘Broken Heart’ bySkip Spence, it’s a 12-string-propelled nugget that best shows howEZTV operate: toeing the line between past and present, with a keenear for left-of-the-dial experimentation that never lets the songs hewtoo far into pastiche and genre nostalgia.

Many of the band’s foundational inspirations – the Feelies’ upstartjangle, the upside-down pop architecture of Arthur Russell’s powerpop band The Necessaries, Shoes’ aching harmonies – are back inplay on ‘High In Place’, their sophomore album, though newinstruments and feels abound throughout. Produced and engineeredby the band themselves, a baby grand piano rings and 12-stringacoustic guitars shimmer throughout the album, recalling the cleareyedproduction techniques of Jeff Lynne.

Taking advantage of tour stopovers, trips to attend weddings, oreven just commandeering someone’s vacation for a few days, EZTVinvited some likeminds and fellow songwriters into the studio – JennyLewis, Chris Cohen, Martin Courtney and Matt Kallman of Real Estate,John Andrews of Quilt, Nic Hessler and Mega Bog – to guest on ‘HighIn Place’.

Aptly recorded on a tape machine purchased from a Lower East SideStudio that was going out of business, in a space where the NewYork City skyline both loomed and inspired through its glasswindows, ‘High In Place’ is an album of golden pop songs worthy ofany era.

Tracklist:

1. High Flying Faith
2. Racing Country
3. Reason To Run
4. Clear
5. States Of Confusion
6. Hammock
7. Temporary Gold
8. Still
9. How Long’s It Gonna Be
10. Goodbye Morning