The High Violets - 44 Down
Presumably a song about a giant crossword, 44 Down kicks of with a fabulous stoner intro and a touch of swirl before giving way to Kaitlyn ni Donovan’s breathy, delicate vocals. Of all the influences and touch-points usually cited when talking about The High Violets it’s Lush that are most readily recognisable from this song, but there’s an ease and smoothness that is all their own.
Hailing from Portland, The High Violets were formed after the break-up of The Bella Low in 1998, taking their name from a song called Sky Pilot by The Animals. The link might seem tenuous, but it’s possible that the band’s original singer, Violet Bianca Grace misheard the lyric and thought it was her name that was being sung.
Although The High Violets have been quiet since releasing Cinema in 2010, the word on the street is that they’ve been working on new material since then; perhaps some of it will surface in time…