March 17, 2010 by
Tom Evans – PalReviews (England)

The album opens with Illusions. They lyrics are very thought provoking and well crafted. I m a fan of good lyrics because I always listen to what the artist is singing to me. High Ceiling does not make the mistake of thining us music lovers just listen to the music and care nothing for the lyrics. In addition, they don not hope the music will cover up most of what they are saying. The vocalist delivers the lyrics well and believes in what he is singing. I cannot stop thining about the idea that, 'touching the ground is an illusion' and so is everything I do. I love the way Illusions has got me thinking. Most songs never do that. Fantastic!

The Golden Rule is another song with thought provoking lyrics. They carry a political message regarding freedom and the rich making the rules. I think we can all relate to this no matter where in the world we may be. The message is delivered with a good beat that is upbeat and easy to dance along with. the vocalist knows how to get across what he wants to say in an interesting and exciting way.

Illusions closes with Reality, which is a high energy instrumental track. I think this ends the album on a great and positive note. The music is well crafted and delivered. It displays the true musical talent of High Ceiling: it left me in a good and positive mood, and what is better than that? Instrumentals can often be boring but Reality certainly is not that because there is a lot going onand it stands confidently on its own without the need of lyrics to give it any flesh and blood.

High Ceiling and Illusions definitely has that edge that I would normally associate with English bands and music - a sort of daring edgy sound that is uniqe and different to the mainstream stuff out there. There may well be a market for High Ceiling in England and perhaps other parts of Europe if they decide to go over the Atlantic. Illusions is a unique and original album. It is well produced and mixed. The vocalists can sing and do it well, they are a pleasure to listen to. I really like High Ceiling and Illusions and recommend giving them a listen, especially if you are from England, the British black community or Jamaica.

January 2010 by
Andrew Frey – Maximum Ink Music Magazine

December 1st, 2009 by
Drago – Froglix.com

June 15th, 2009 by
hux – Austin Daze

High Ceiling—Illusions: High Ceiling fuses the classic Roots, Rock and Reggae sound of groups like Easy Star Allstars or UB40 with unpredictable instrumental jam band tangents similar to bands like Tea Leaf Green. Playing hundreds of shows alongside Jam-Rock and Reggae bands including John Brown’s Body and Garaj Mahal, the group is well known as a staple in the Northwestern music scene. They even organize their own weekend long festival, Skok Valley Music Festival that takes place every August near Shelton, WA and features some of the best bands in the region. They put on an energetic show that comes across completely on their second full-length studio album, Illusions. The opening track, “Illusions” opens with a Hammond organ, but then hits hard with a heavy dose of deep bass and percussive reggae undertones. Some tracks, like “High and Lifted” and “The Golden Rule” stay within the true confines of Reggae grooves while others like “A Fire” and “Ubntu” mix improvisational bits with odd time signatures and solos over straight dump vamps. Some songs abandon the style completely and bring in an R&B vibe or a mellow piano track. The lyrics are lush with political and social commentary of the classic Jamaican music.
4.5 McRiprock’s

June 05, 2009
Rich - Eartaste.com High Ceiling - Reality

The last thing I’d expect to see on an album called “Illusions” is a cut called ‘Reality’. Catching my eye is one thing, catching my ear is another. I’ve listened to this cut many times this week waiting for it to start boring me. Never did. Describing it is another issue. It starts off in almost a jazz mode, but it doesn’t take long for the rock to kick in. Flavored with reggae, funk, powerful percussion and outer space sounds – this cut is wild on speakers, even wilder in headphones. Definitely presents a great method to get people up to the dance floor at any Friday night party. The best thing about this cut is its instrumental energy will fit well into any genre of party you happen to be enjoying. A good one for your toolkit, my DJ friends – you’ll wild up any good times with this. Special thanks to Maria for getting this one out to Texas!

APRIL 30, 2009
MASON COUNTY JOURNAL ARTICLE –

article by Kevan Moore

Trail Black, singer and guitarist for High Ceiling, bathed in the lights of a recent show at the Skokomish Grange, belts out a tune for a packed crowd to celebrate the release of the band’s new CD.

LOCAL BANDS ROCK THE SKOK AND THEIR FANS

            It’s only about two miles out the Skokomish Valley Road, but five sharp turns combined with the valley’s pitch-black darkness, can make finding the Skokomish Valley Grange trickier than it seems.
            The first clue that you’ve made it, according to last-minute directions from a friend, is a fire station that sits just past the hall and actually comes into view first, unless of course there are dozens and dozens of vehicles parked out front for the concert that you’ve come to see and feel and hear.  In that case, you know that you’ve come to the right place right away.
            On this night, it’s the local boys from Sideways Reign and High Ceiling, with an intermezzo from Olympia’s Heliotroupe, that have brought you this far and they will not disappoint.
            At this late hour, the valley is framed by the silhouette of its opposite hillsides’ ridgelines that overlook the river below while the road itself is framed by the barbed-wire fencing that keeps the cows and horses atop all that rich, rich soil they call home.  Above it all, on the night in question, the Big Dipper reigns supreme, casting a glow along  with the thousands and millions and billions of other stars high above, that are serving duty as one big spotlight for the show.
            The reason for tonight’s pilgrimage is High Ceiling’s release of their second CD, “Illusions.”  The band won’t begin their set until well after midnight so that their dedicated fans can literally dance the night away while the starry ceiling above gives way to a rising ball of fire in the east.
            Shortly before going on stage, Trail Black, who plays guitar and provides about half of the band’s vocals, talked about the band’s late starts and explained why fans of High Ceiling have come to expect long jam sessions.  It turns out that the kids that have gathered, who are young and old and everything in between, just want to dance, dance, dance.
            And to that end, the old Skok Grange is the perfect place, because this is where it all began.
            Trail and his brother, Joel, who plays bass alongside him, grew up in the valley.  And right next door was Casey Dehe, who plays guitar in Sideways Reign alongside his cousin, Justin Stang, who also plays guitar and is the band’s lead singer.
            “They have a band of brothers and we have a band of cousins,” Stang noted.
            Rounding out High Ceiling are drummer Tyler Evans, percussionist Gabe Olson, and Bob Wake on Keyboards.  Trail, Gabe, and Bob are all graduates of Shelton High School’s Class of 1994.  Sideways Reign’s other members, meanwhile, are Mike Dennis on drums and Cody Goodwin on bass.
            Reggae, funk, rock, trance, dub, and other worldly styles of music get mixed into ever High Ceiling performance while Sideways Reign offers up a defying blend of rock, blues, folk, and reggae behind Stang’s gravelly, one-of-a-kind baritone.
            And, in an unusual twist, ice cream plays a role in binding these two bands together, as well.  Trail, Joel and Justin all work at Olympic Mountain Ice Cream, which was founded in the valley by Karl and Beverly Black in 1983.
            “It’s a family business and I don’t think any of us could do the band thing without their support and the flexibility in our work schedule,” Trail Black said.
            It’s those deep connections to each other and the valley itself, that are part of what makes playing the Grange so special for these two popular bands.
            Playing here one or two times a year is something that’s really, really special for us,” Trail Black said.  “we don’t do this very often because there’s so much work that goes into it, more than anything else we do, but they’re so much fun.  When the last note has been played and the sun is coming up, I am always exhausted, but feel so proud and blessed!”
            There really is nothing, Trail added, like a Grange show.
            “It’s kind of a mini, one-night festival,” he said, before noting how the building gets decorated by Sid and Mary Bechtolt; a professional sound and light show are brought in; the Northwest’s best bands are recruited; food is made available via Smoking Mo’s  Barbeque; and people and families from all walks of life show up, everyone feels welcomed and there’s a positive spirit in the air.
            “All night I was making eye contact with an audience of smiling and dancing people whose positive energy boosted our performance to new heights,” he said a few days after the event.

            But, after five years together and countless gigs, the band is experiencing a somewhat new phenomenon.
            “It’s really cool because a lot of people are coming out to shows nowadays who we don’t recognize or personally know,” Trail said.  “I think that’s a huge testament to our community of friends and fans all over the Northwest who are always helping promote the band.”
            Trail says that the biggest fans are people who are similar to him and the rest of the band’s members.
            “They are music lovers who want to spend some time uplifted in the moment, not burdened by yesterday’s or tomorrow’s worries,” he said.  “At least that’s what I get out of live music and I think that when we are on stage and connecting with our fans, that’s how they are feeling also.  When I go see a show, I hope to be inspired.  If I am, I love the band that inspires me.”
            One such band, which started things off at the recent CD release party, is Sideways Reign.
            “They’re really dedicated to doing something original and really dedicated to getting out and making something unique and special happen for themselves, the community and the local scene.  It’s a real passion for music when I watch those guys play and listen to them.  They’re really hard-working guys.  When we’re playing the same stage and in the same night, whatever audience is there to see us or them will appreciate both bands even though the music is different because it comes from the heart and is full of good positive energy.”
            The members of Sideways Reign have the same kind of respect for High Ceiling, as well.
            “Those guys are pioneers and we had the ability, due to our friendship and our families, to really be a part of what they started and add to the torch that they’re burning a little bit,” lead singer Stang noted.  “When you have something as terrific as the CD that they’ve worked really hard on it’s like, of course, we’ll come along and play and bring our fans.  It’s like they say, ‘Together we stand, divided we fall’ – that’s local music.”
            When Stang moved to Mason County three years ago to live with his cousin, they attended a High Ceiling show the very first night he got here.
            “The show was amazing and Casey and I decided right then and there to get something (a band) going,” he said.  “They have a band of brothers and we have a band of cousins.”
            And, it turns out, they very first show they ever put on was at the Skok Grange.
            “So, our Grange roots and pride run deep,” Stang said.
            And while both bands are now touring extensively outside of Mason County these days, performing on stages from Bellingham to Northern California, the valley is still, and perhaps will forever be, the best place to catch them live.