After a rollercoaster tour with Sky Ferreira and Vampire Weekend, Aussie Indie-Folk duo High Highs follow up their 2013 debut Open Season with their dreamy electro-folk LP – Cascades. The album does exactly what it says on the tin, simple guitar entwined melodies and light piano chords cascade over you leaving you in a peaceful Sydney sunset haze.

This isn’t an album which will stand out or divide opinions in anyway; it is firmly inoffensive. But this necessarily isn’t a criticism. Whilst it doesn’t grab your attention, the High Highs’ soft melodies and endearing lyrics could win over the steeliest of listeners in a heartbeat. Opener ‘Boxing’ is a warm and welcoming track which shows off the duos mix of harmless but sweet indie charm and synth heavy overtones which define this latest LP. But it’s not all winter morning songs with hot chocolate and thick woolly jumpers. The track ‘Sun’ shows the boys progression into more upbeat pop music whilst maintaining their laidback/outback roots.

Title track ‘Cascades’ and single ‘Catch the Wind’ are examples of where High Highs have also experimented with more sonic sounding tracks (the latter barely having any guitar in it whatsoever). Both are seemingly effortless and easy for High Highs to break into despite this being only their sophomore LP. Perhaps the most experimental track is the last – ‘Fastnet’ a beautiful and delicate point to where they want to go with the next album.

High Highs have a packed out touring schedule over the next two months. A whistle-stop trip around their native Australia before an endless line up of headline shows around North America is what awaits them. But with the new album turning heads and their fan base slowly growing, they are surely set to announce a UK tour any day now.

Luke Humphrey