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HighSchool are the Melbourne duo of Rory Trobbiani and Luke Scott, who first turned heads with their debut EP Forever at Last, a record that showed a new band excitingly putting a different lens to lo-fi, new wave, goth and post-punk sounds. A move to London shortly followed, where they released the Dan Carey–produced ‘Only a Dream’ 7” on his Speedy Wunderground label then the Italo disco-tinged banger ‘Colt’ whilst playing festivals and touring with the likes of Sam Fender, Provoker and Chvrches. Their follow-up EP Accelerator showed a darker edge, drawing comparisons to Bar Italia and julie, in part a result of them now diving in on emo influences.

Returning to Australia shortly after a sold-out UK tour with Wunderhorse, HighSchool are finally back with their awaited debut album and it doesn’t disappoint. Self-titled and featuring the singles ‘Dipped’, ‘Colt’ and ‘149’, they’ve enlisted producers Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode) and Finn Bellingham (RIP Magic, Sam Akpro, Sunken) to help them deliver an essential record that plays on the band’s name as its core theme, 12 tracks that channel the restless energy and the rose-tinted mythologies of youth.