HighSchool’s self-titled debut is a vivid coming-of-age soundtrack that plays on the band’s name as its core theme. Across twelve deeply personal songs, they fuse post-punk, shoegaze and alternative revivalism: from the euphoric tension of ‘Dipped' to the digital-age romance of 'Sony Ericsson’, the early-days rush of ‘149' and the imagined escape of ‘Chaplins’. The acoustic 'American Aunty' offers a tender suburban reflection, while the Beck- and Pavement-influenced 'Peter’s Room' closes side one. Side two moves through the 2000s-tinged 'One Lucky Man’, midwestern emo homage 'Making Out at the Skatepark’, woozy tape-manipulated ‘Trope’,  the gothic sprawl of 'Rhinoplasty' and the nostalgic junior-Aussie Rules ode 'Best and Fairest' and ending with fan favourite 'Colt.'

Incredibly adept at building immersive worlds around their music, HighSchool have directed their own striking videos from the start, a skill carried over from their film backgrounds. This visual sensibility extends to the album artwork, which leans into the mythologised portrayals of school life in film and TV—images that often rose-tint reality—making this record both a sonic and visual contribution to the long-running cultural story of youth.