Following up their magnificent EP ‘Accelerator’ last year (see my 9/10 review here), the mighty HighSchool return for 2025 with the vibrant single ‘149’ through [PIAS] Australia.
With their trademark insouciance and laid back delivery, HighSchool continue to represent some of the best indie music coming out of Australia at the moment. ‘149’ captures an element of the indolence and languid energy of a fleeting youth in its delivery. The guitars ripple over sweeping synths and builds up to a crescendo with the vocals distant and louche, wholly enigmatic. The band eloquently says of the track:
‘149’ is about slow, teenage suburban summers – long, dry days, sprinklers on cracked lawns, the smell of cut grass and cheap beer, halogen-lit tennis courts and supermarket car parks. Nothing to do but kick rocks, ride your bike, hang at the skatepark or by the pool.
You end up at a shit house party you weren’t invited to, with the girl you’ve had a crush on all year – the one you thought never noticed you. Someone’s playing Benny Benassi on a light-up Bluetooth speaker. People spill onto the porch, your breath tastes like warm wine from a sack. Maybe you hold hands or she kisses you. ‘149’ is a brief moment in the noise, knowing it won’t last. And that’s the point.
The accompanying video captures the energy and chaos of such an event – a fuzzy sense of distorted time and fuzzy logic. The band reflect that:
The video captures the feeling we wanted for 149 — the dizzying elation of a rambunctious night out, full of promise and unpredictability. It’s about the seemingly endless possibilities a party can bring, and that fleeting feeling of being pulled out of your head and into the present, knowing it can only last until the night ends.
While based in London, there is something archetypally antipodean about the atmosphere evoked by this band.
It’s great to see them back and as good as ever. ‘149’ is out now and available to download and stream here.
The release of ‘149’ follows HighSchool’s first show of the year, supporting Floodlights at their sold-out Forum Theatre show last month. Now, they head to Japan for the N.E.R.Ozine launch at Shibuya WWW. Tickets are on sale now.
Having been recorded with frequent producers Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode) and Finn Billingham (RIP Magic, Sam Akpro, Sunken), further news of HighSchool’s debut full-length is expected imminently.
Feature Photograph: Otto Crosby
