“Tree and Leaf” is a highlight of the Hey Mountain Hey, the latest album by London-based High Chair, and is a calm, striking folk song with psychedelic charm.
High Chair, which consists of Billy Surgeoner and Rokiah Yaman, is a London-based project known for its soaring, psychedelic textures, which often stem from quirkiness, like in the instance of “Tree and Leaf.”
Gentle acoustics vocals evoke an early mood evocative of Daryl Hall, with rhythmic guitar-based adornments growing into the 2-minute mark.
“This is the third installment of a trilogy that began with “The Butter Thief” (2018). It then ended with “The Dharma and the Drama” (2019).
The Tempest, a Shakespeare drama, inspired the title.
“Tree and Leaf” is inspired by a Tolkien short story, “The Door of the Law” is inspired on a Kafka short story of the same title, and “The Pollen Path” is inspired on an old Navaho adage. The sound on all three albums is diverse, although the predominant styles are Progressive and Psychedelic rock.
In the 1990s, much of the songs and part of the lyrics for these albums were showcased on reel-to-reel tape. They lingered in the loft until lately when they were revived, re-recorded, and finished with different songs and getting good.”
