New Friends are self-described “pop gangsters” who hail from Toronto. In an interview with the online magazine Nylon Manila, the band called the forming of their band “organic” and “spontaneous.” Both descriptors, coincidentally, describe their synergetic sound. Their most recent live cover was of the single “High and Dry” from Radiohead’s 1995 The Bends. In the video, the members are bathed in vintage-looking pink and green lights.
While the original intro is strummy and bleak, the New Friends version begins with a compelling swell. Next, the drums ramp up, then…Stefan Boulineau’s mellow vocals take center stage. From the clarity of the falsetto to its swathes of ‘verbed guitar chords, this cover is a true sonic treat. Not to mention, the group seems to dance as a unit! New Friends is not just a band, but rather, a visual and sonic act.
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