My interest in Brooklyn’s Super Hi-Fi began with their EP of Nirvana covers, that, despite never being a Nirvana fan, I thoroughly enjoyed. The reason is simply because not one song came anywhere near resembling the Seattle trio. Instead, Super Hi-Fi brings dub and reggae sounds to their afro-inspired rhythms and groove filled affair, often reworking tunes into their own distinct genre.
On this fifth album, and their second of mostly original material, the band recorded to tape and take their experimental ideas to a new point in indie rock with their trademark double trombones and languid meets frenzied creativity.
“Gone” starts off the disc with laidback horns and vocal effects but builds quickly into a mashing of noises with crashing percussion. Although there is much variety within each tune, this formula is then executed in somewhat similar ways the rest of the album with the punk and ska-influenced “Keep It Dirty,” the slinky rockin’ “Dub To The Bone,” and the playful, country influenced “Fergie.”
Some noteworthy deviations include the spacey and hazy feelings of “Blue And White,” the marching band drumming of “Little Black Book,” and the grunge rocker “Space Needle,” which could soundtrack a stage diving, mosh pitting event.
Near the end of the album, the band delivers their version of the Police’s “Hole In My Life,” which has a cinematic quality with blurry moments, and “Biking To Bushwick,” where classic rock guitars easily make this the album highlight.
Super Hi-Fi has released many records in the last six years, each one atypical and defying comparison. The band is carving out a niche that is truly just for them. For the collectors out there, if you pick up one of the first 500 copies of vinyl you’ll get unique cover art, as each one is individually silk screened by Robert Swainston.
