The hype surrounding this album on social media in the run
up to its release has been absolutely incredible. I always try and steer clear
of the hype machine because in my experience it will only end badly, but after
hearing the couple of tracks that I had from The Bedroom Hour I must confess
that expectations were quite high.
Based in West London The Bedroom Hour are Stuart Drummond
(Lead vocals) Bob Payne (Guitar, backing vocals) Mark Dudley (Keyboards) Andy
Copper (Bass) and Lewis Cosham. (Drums) They released their debut EP ‘Themes’
back in May of last year, but now comes the real acid test; the debut album.
Hinterland begins
in rather grandiose fashion with the short atmosphere building instrumental ‘Ocean.’
Ok, so technically there is a vocal of sorts floating in the background but that’s
not of massive importance in the grand scheme of things. The album really gets
underway with ‘Sea With Without Water.’ Again it’s another atmospheric number,
with a real uplifting feel. The vocal fits the track perfectly and doesn’t try to
dominate although personally I would have had the synth effects lower down in
the mix as I feel in places that they overshadow the main melody, but all in
all it’s a very promising start.
The next track ‘Nocturnal’ gives more than a tip of the hat
to titans of this genre Elbow but that is no band thing. The intro is nice and
up tempo and in keeping with the rest of the record everything production wise
is suitably well polished. Vocally Drummond’s understated authority finds all
the right spots as it glides beautifully across a bed of gentle guitars and
strings. It’s on this type of track where the band really produce their best
work and this is already one of the highlights of the entire record.
The stomping drum beat which ushers in ‘Heart Will Haunt’ is
soon overtaken by relatively sparse production and an airy vocal of Drummond who
is sounding more like Guy Garvey with every passing track. The understated
production means that not only does the main melody slide under the radar but
it places more emphasis on the lyrics and central vocal which is a nice touch.
The intro to ‘Broken’ gives the opening minute or so of the track quite a dark
feel but in typical Bedroom Hour style this is soon tripped away and replaced a
big sweeping chorus. The strings which arrive just before halfway give the song
another dimension and help to lift the mood. That is until things return to the
beginning for a moody finish.
‘Sapphires’ is probably the weakest track on the album and the
only one that I don’t really like. That’s not to say that its without it’s good
moments as the vocal and the way that the verses build do have a charm about
them but the track is simply too long. Not enough happens and by the time the
song does run to a conclusion it is treading water having got lost in its own
grandeur. Focus however is restored with the sharper sounds of
‘Ghost Of A
Smile.’ Rather than just winding along the song has a point while also containing
one of the albums most relatable lyrics,
I see so much
resentment inside my own reflection.
From a technical standpoint there is nothing special about
that line but I think it’s just very effective in the context of the song.
There is a marked increase in pace as WW/ME begins which is
more than welcome as things were in danger of becoming a little one paced but
that notion was stopped right before it became an issue. The drum breakdown at
around halfway is a standout moment and a very nice touch as it’s not something
which is used by bands all that often. The guitar riff which strums alongside these
drums gives the track a real skip in its step.
The following track ‘I See Suns’ is so outrageously close to
being perfect its breath-taking. It’s the rockiest track on the record and has
everything, the vocal soars, the verses build to an anthemic chorus, the
guitars come to prominence and give the track a nice edge but the synth sound
through the chorus is totally unnecessary. But I’m not going to dwell on that
because the track is still seriously high quality and probably my favourite on
the album.
The pace is brought right back down by the album’s title
track which due to its shortness acts merely as an interlude. The soaring
vocals coupled with typically grand instrumentation sum up the band very
nicely. Final track ‘A Map Made From My Bones’ sees the band return to where
they are most comfortable. High on atmosphere and with the substance to match
this ballad ensures that the band go out on a highly tuned perfectly executed
note.
Taking the album as a whole Hinterland is very very good. Of course there are the flaws which I
have mentioned but the high points are suitably high enough to distract your
attention. When these guys really hook the whole package together as they do on
the likes of ‘Nocturnal’ and ‘I See Suns’ they are frankly breath-taking. However
I as I mentioned in passing in a couple of areas there has been a slight tendency
to over-produce, much like with your girlfriends make up… less is more.
Nevertheless those minor issues really shouldn’t detract from
what is an altogether rousing and very enjoyable debut effort.
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