Following the seemingly effortless, timeless guitar pop of their debut
Calling Out
,
EZTV
self-recorded and produced their second album,
High in Place
. The band favors a crystalline sound that stands in sharp contrast to
's mix of haze and grit and makes the most of their gently drifting riffs, melodies, and harmonies. The album's bittersweet mood is more impressionistic than specific when
Ezra Tenenbaum
sings "Not afraid of fading out/Just slowing down" on "Reason to Run," which features
Real Estate
's
Martin Courtney
on guitar. Along with
Courtney
's collaborators include his bandmate
Matt Kallman
as well as
Jenny Lewis
, whose ghostly harmonies are a faint presence on "High Flying Faith."
's attention-getting spark resurfaces on "Clear," where processed synths and drums add movement and energy; the hooky "Temporary Gold," and "States of Confusion," where wry observations and bittersweet chord changes make it the album's closest thing to a rocker. ~ Heather Phares