The second track from Groves, "Send High", is as spellbinding as their superb debut
We first discovered Groves back in November when we premiered their remarkably assured debut, "Paperback". Now the London-based quintet return with their Richard Formby (Wild Beasts, Darkstar)-produced new song, "Send High".
The wait has been worth it. "Send High" is everything we could want and more: aquatic, phaser-like guitars float along with singer Nick Hayes' mellifluous vocals and busy, oscillating synths; beats build but never suffocate; all the layers weld a perfect wave of melody. The dreamy delays on the guitars and aerated beats often recall the type of late 90s/early noughties soft rock that used to so dominate the radio. It's a refreshingly simpler aesthetic that puts the mood and atmopshere at the heart of the song.
Speaking about their approach to recording their upcoming debut album with Formby, the band said: "We did use a lot of his analogue gear. We like working with tape delays and real reverbs, which he has plenty of. Without wanting to sound horribly clichéd, they [analogue synths] just provide warmth and make things more approachable… It’s really important to us that the songs feel human. It’s more ambitious and it takes longer, but it’s vital to keep things interesting - otherwise everything would sound the same.”
If this is what Groves are producing just two songs into their career, who knows what's to come next.
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