Grade: A-
Standout Tracks: Terrible Love Anyone’s Ghost, Little Faith, Lemonworld
High Violet is an uneasy affair about aging, providing, settling down and settling into a man’s role as grown man. The eleven-track record is stormy, seething with frustration and anxiety, but like the good Midwestern men they are, they keep it controlled, they never yell or let anything get too out of hand. They are grown men after all and they have to provide a good example for their families. They seem to want to cry out but are never willing or able to allow themselves that moment. High Violet is at all times restrained and this restraint is echoed in the meticulous production, the muted drums, echoing vocals, atmospheric guitars and creeping strings. Half talking half singing his words, Matt Berninger’s baritone has a monochromatic quality that reinforces the record's restraint.For most of the record Bryan Devendorf trades crashing cymbals for muted, urgent tom riffs. He Hammers his drum kit throughout, laying down what sounds like heavy mortar fire for a far-off war. Devendorf’s complex rhythms are the perfect counterpoint to Berninger’s minimal delivery and this tense juxtaposition forms the heart of High Violet. Scott Devendorf’s bass riffs move back and forth through his brother’s drumming like they were made by the same person. The twins, Aaron and Bryce Dessner weave a thick cloth of guitar sound that’s ultimately indispensable. At times their creations sparkle and at times they buzz and hiss but they never stray too far from their masters and they never make a scene.
