Send "North Highlands " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 Some people travel far from their hometown in order to get away from it, others end up needing a few reminders of where they're from. Singer Brenda Malvini appears to fall into the latter category; after growing up in North Highlands in Sacramento, California, she moved to New York to attend NYU, ultimately naming her band after the place where she was raised. If North Highlands find fame, at least she can never be accused of forgetting where she came from. Wild One is the band's debut full-length, constructed by Malvini and her band, which demonstrates a proficiency seldom heard on the Brooklyn indie rock circuit. Fortunately, this is a group that knows how to juggle the technical gifts at its disposal and the emotional application needed to make this something more than an exercise in indie navel-gazing. Wild One might seem like an inappropriate banner to hoist over such quotidian surface structures, but dig a little deeper and it clearly represents this band's desire to shake things up every once in a while.Like any new group still etching out an identity, it's not hard to pluck out precedents to the North Highlands sound as this record progresses. In particular, the recently revived Electrelane circa No Shouts, No Calls are a strong reference point, with Malvini's singing mirroring Verity Susman's vocal lines on occasion ("Steady Steady," "Roundhouse"). The band members are fond of taking her work and interlacing it with jerky rhythms that are clamped to the kind of ultra-bright guitar playing Vampire Weekend practice, ultimately settling into a style that's one part ice-cold detachment and one part fizzy pop encompassment. The juxtaposition is good for creating a space for North Highlands to operate within, where the aloof vocal on a song like "Chicago" keeps their audience at arm's length, only for some Tindersticks-y string arrangements to pull them back in with their warmth and vitality....full text |
| Consequenceofsound |
| Take one look to current events and it’s obvious that the dreams of many aren’t exactly being realized. Created and inspired by the growing pains of a recession, North Highlands‘ debut ventures through the bittersweet side of growing up. Wild One is meant to be an album of longing, a desire for moments and events that never seem to come. It’s a dizzying head rush of emotions carefully backed with instrumental layers and airy melodies, all softened by the striking, smoky vocals of lead singer Brenda Malvini. Malvini’s husky whisper is noticeably similar to the likes of St. Vincent and Twin Sister’s Andrea Estella, but North Highlands’ sound can easily stand on its own. On opener “Bruce”, her drawl is delicately drawn out, cozying up to swells of drums and guitar as she admits, “It feels right to be falling apart.” Continued, pleasurable indie pop abounds with moments of groovy piano and toe tapping guitar sweetened by her dreamy vocals on both “Steady, Steady” and “Salty”. Wild One is most captivating when North Highlands is brutally honest in its lyrical imagery, made all the more meaningful by the careful building of instruments. “Benefits” begins with distant thumps of percussion that die off in a burst of quick-witted guitar work supporting hazy vocal promises from Malvini. “Best Part” mellows out somber bitterness with strings that glide effortlessly amidst the tip toe of keyboard and lovelorn pleas of, “I’m sure somebodys gonna break your heart and that’s the best part.” “Here’s” is a suited send off of jangly strings and sweeping percussion, as pace setting piano builds to back chants of admittance. The tribulations associated with growing old are unavoidable and North Highlands embraces them creating an instant connection with the listener through their relatable recounts. Wild One is a deeply personal tale of coming into adulthood from a band that certainly has some promising growth ahead....full text |
| Thewildhoneypie |
| 2011 has been a great year for leading ladies on the East Coast indie circuit. While this talented group, including the likes of Jenn Wasner from Wye Oak, Arone Dyer from Buke & Gass and the two-headed siren duo Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig from Lucius, walked into the year with a low profile, a combination vocal mastery and complimentary album arrangements have allowed all to strut into 2012 with major accolades and a steady buzz. With a couple more months remaining in the year, the front woman from Brooklyn’s North Highlands (@northhighlands), Brenda Malvini, could easily join the ranks of 2011′s list of indie it-girls with the release of the band’s full-length LP Wild One. Albums that showcase a bands ability to construct (and deconstruct) textured layers have carved a soft spot in my heart, and North Highlands really knocked it out of the park with this release. Summoning shades of early Broken Social Scene and touches of Deerhoof and Minus the Bear, Wild One was able to balance unique cadence and timing structures with varied orchestral layers. This allowed Malvini’s band mates, particularly Jasper Berg on drums and Mike Baron on lead guitar, to showcase their technical precision without diluting Malvini’s soaring vocals. In particular, tracks “Bruce” and “Salty” bring out an up-tempo vibe, pulsing with thick, musically astounding layers worthy of toe tapping and perked ears. Combining a myriad of finger-picked guitar and mandolin, soft claps, unique synth and Feist-esque vocals, North Highlands are nothing less than captivating. The highlight of the album is closing track “Here’s”, which, like much of the other songs, brings just the right amount of pop, laying down a foundation with steady percussion and a bit of reverb on the lead guitar. The track steadily grows into itself, though, busting out all of North Highlands tricks — heavy keys, mandolin, guitar and the soft clap — putting on display their comprehensive musical prowess to close out the album with gusto....full text |
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