Half Moon Run - Dark Eyes (18/06/2013)
For those of you who have every Radiohead album under the sun playing on repeat, and find that nothing else compares, the debut album Dark Eyes from Half Moon Run might be just the thing to add to your collection.
Heralding from the beautiful and snowy land of Canada, the Montreal trio have been turning heads and astonishing audiences around the world, with their curious blend of indie, pop and roots.
Since the release of their hit track, Full Circle, the band have gone on to tour the US and Europe with the likes of Metric, Mumford & Sons and Patrick Watson.
Straight off the bat, listeners are introduced to the very best of Half Moon Run, with their hit single, Full Circle, starting off the album. The track is proof of the stripped back and fragile style that the band has become known for. Although Full Circle is the perfect soundtrack to a lazy Sunday afternoon, it’s also a great testament to the story telling ability hidden within their lyrics, “At first a sharpish pain that returns as a thought, that the needle in your skin will bring you closer to god.”
Keeping up with the pace set by Full Circle, their next song Call Me In The Afternoon is very similar with its energetic beat, and ingenious song lyrics. The lyrics are so well thought out, they’ve thought beyond just words and have created sounds that add to the intensity of the bands style.
Without a doubt the standout track, She wants to know, slowly builds in intensity until it finishes in a crescendo of instruments. The track has so many elements, but the piano remains a constant and matches each change perfectly. Overall the track has a slightly darker sound than what their genre suggests, but the atmospheric and textural quality is what makes the song stand out.
Just when you think you’ve heard everything Half Moon Run have to offer, they switch things up and offer something completely different in Need it. The tempo instantly changes, as the fast pace of the album disappears and the song takes on a deep and moody ambience. This marks a changing point in the album, and the last six songs follow suit.
It seems there’s a little Radiohead fan in all of us, and the Canadian trio have certainly exhibited theirs in the song, Give Up. Devon Portielje’s vocals mimic the melancholy tone that Thom Yorke, lead singer of Radiohead, is so well known for. Although many will consider this a shameless rendition it should be thought of more as a tribute.
The album is of such a high standard, especially for a debut, that faults are very hard to find. However, Fire Escape just doesn’t hit the mark that its predecessors did. The lyrics are simple, slightly repetitive (“And you, take the fire escape/ Run down the street to the church”) and as a whole doesn’t really fit into the album.
21 Gun Salute, which is also reminiscent of Radiohead, seamlessly weaves light electronica into the song and closes the album with the question, just where will Half Moon Run take us next?
There are many directions that Half Moon Run could take for their second album, but we’re sure that no matter what way they choose it will be the right one. With the band members’ unquestionable talent and versatility, each member plays multiple instruments and they often swap for each song, quality will never be an issue in their music.
Amanda Sherring
Heralding from the beautiful and snowy land of Canada, the Montreal trio have been turning heads and astonishing audiences around the world, with their curious blend of indie, pop and roots.
Since the release of their hit track, Full Circle, the band have gone on to tour the US and Europe with the likes of Metric, Mumford & Sons and Patrick Watson.
Straight off the bat, listeners are introduced to the very best of Half Moon Run, with their hit single, Full Circle, starting off the album. The track is proof of the stripped back and fragile style that the band has become known for. Although Full Circle is the perfect soundtrack to a lazy Sunday afternoon, it’s also a great testament to the story telling ability hidden within their lyrics, “At first a sharpish pain that returns as a thought, that the needle in your skin will bring you closer to god.”
Keeping up with the pace set by Full Circle, their next song Call Me In The Afternoon is very similar with its energetic beat, and ingenious song lyrics. The lyrics are so well thought out, they’ve thought beyond just words and have created sounds that add to the intensity of the bands style.
Without a doubt the standout track, She wants to know, slowly builds in intensity until it finishes in a crescendo of instruments. The track has so many elements, but the piano remains a constant and matches each change perfectly. Overall the track has a slightly darker sound than what their genre suggests, but the atmospheric and textural quality is what makes the song stand out.
Just when you think you’ve heard everything Half Moon Run have to offer, they switch things up and offer something completely different in Need it. The tempo instantly changes, as the fast pace of the album disappears and the song takes on a deep and moody ambience. This marks a changing point in the album, and the last six songs follow suit.
It seems there’s a little Radiohead fan in all of us, and the Canadian trio have certainly exhibited theirs in the song, Give Up. Devon Portielje’s vocals mimic the melancholy tone that Thom Yorke, lead singer of Radiohead, is so well known for. Although many will consider this a shameless rendition it should be thought of more as a tribute.
The album is of such a high standard, especially for a debut, that faults are very hard to find. However, Fire Escape just doesn’t hit the mark that its predecessors did. The lyrics are simple, slightly repetitive (“And you, take the fire escape/ Run down the street to the church”) and as a whole doesn’t really fit into the album.
21 Gun Salute, which is also reminiscent of Radiohead, seamlessly weaves light electronica into the song and closes the album with the question, just where will Half Moon Run take us next?
There are many directions that Half Moon Run could take for their second album, but we’re sure that no matter what way they choose it will be the right one. With the band members’ unquestionable talent and versatility, each member plays multiple instruments and they often swap for each song, quality will never be an issue in their music.
Amanda Sherring