This latest album from the Rich Halley 4 is filled with eleven new compositions by Rich Halley. It showcases a wide variety of music that the group have become well known for.
The album seems to celebrate the freedom in their music and the way in which they perform it, but it loses its way and becomes too chaotic to appreciate in places.
But the record starts off bold and confident with ‘Retroactive’, a track that is strong and powerful in terms of its style and sound. From the start it is clear that the group want to make an impact on the listener, which it certainly does – with the number of rises and falls and directions that the music takes on this one track alone.
Eleven continues with its quirky and experimental style on ‘Radioactive’, a song that really captures the groups sense of playfulness and attitude towards music. But it is easier to enjoy in comparison to ‘Retroactive’ because it sounds more thought has gone into the performances rather than purely making a statement.
Yet there is still a different side to the album which is pleasing to listen to particularly on track such as ‘Remnant’, which changes the pace of the album and shows a softer side to the album that is less chaotic and easier for the listener to enjoy.
But despite this, it is hard not to think that the album is a bit too all over the place to enjoy properly. The contrast between tracks such as ‘The Dugite of Strikes’ and ‘The Creep of Time’ is widely different and doesn’t make the album flow easily, making it sound slightly awkward.
However, it has to be said that there is plenty of energy and enthusiasm that runs consistently through the album and there is plenty of variety in the music to keep the listeners on their toes throughout.
There is no doubting the level of creativity and thought that has clearly gone into this album, but at the same time there doesn’t seem to be any real consistency or direction in which the music goes in – which although is exciting at first it can become a little bit overwhelming by the end. If you have enjoyed Rich Halley 4’s other albums you will certainly love this, but if you are unfamiliar with their work it might be a bit much for you to truly appreciate.