Top Sounds - H

HAEST - Anomie {TNS} Debut album from this quartet outta Hastings, England. Impressive stuff too - coming on like a mix of ANTISECT and AMEBIX but with something distinctly unique too. Opener ‘Unstable Picnic’ opens on a subtle droning guitar part before blowing up in suitable style. You get a further 13 tracks, many of which flow into the next and fuse odd blasts of Hardcore with Punk chops and a grinding groove. Great song titles too that disguise the serious nature of many of the lyrics. Highlights would be ‘I Haven’t Had Crumpets In Ages And Now I Can Dance Really Well’ that has an atmospheric intro and retains the downbeat vibe while a bilious vocal kicks in, the foreboding, damage-inducing power surge of ‘I Opened A Beer With A Bible’ and of course I cannot look over ‘Are You Telling Me Ipswich Has No Fun Points?’ which rolls on a stellar riff and recalled ICH in parts. Have to say, vocalist Dave Cullern has a great voice for this stuff - clear, enraged, righteous and thankfully not growling and screaming like a gorilla with its balls in a piranha pool. Great album cover artwork, but given the frivolous song titles and the serious nature of the lyrics, a lyric sheet would’ve been awesome. This is a really strong, original album that twists, turns, thrills, scares and intimidates but never, ever bores. Future classic on their hands I think. (19.11.21)
HALF STRING - A Fascination With Heights {Independent Project Records} Another sumptuous re-issue from IPR that includes a 20-page booklet filled with the band’s history and track details, while there are nine bonus tracks. HALF STRING was a band based in Arizona and this was the band’s debut album released back in 1996. It’s mellow but enthralling stuff - think a fusion of early REM, LEMONHEADS, THE CHURCH and ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN with a hint of SWERVEDRIVER’s weight behind it. Highlights include the hit-single potential of ‘Backstroke’, both ‘Departures’ and the closing instrumental drone of ‘Numbers And Fingers’ that have a vague MISSION OF BURMA feel about it (check the drumming on the former in particular), while highlight would be the dramatic and epic ‘The Apathy Parade’.  First time ever on vinyl for this, and both vinyl and CD come with an additional disc of the band’s Part Time Punks session from 2012/13. Tad mellow maybe, but a nice dreamy sound for Sunday mornings. (01.10.22)
HEAVENLY - A Bout De Heavenly: The Singles {Damaged Goods} Oh, this is rather lovely!! If you didn’t know, HEAVENLY was a jangly guitar, Indie-pop band outta Oxford, UK and rose from the ashes of TALULAH GOSH (a band Dam Good has also just reissued on a career spanning double album). Think CHUMBAWAMBA’s female lead guitar pop sound, PRIMITIVES and a splish of THE BREEDERS and you get an idea of the really rather wonderful guitar poptones on the 17 tracks here. Lots of highlights, especially if femme-lead guitar pop of the highest order is your thang but ‘P.U.N.K. Girl’, the fuzzy ‘Trophy Girlfriend’, a cover of THE JAM’s ‘Art School’ and the band’s debut ‘I Fell In Love Last Night’ all stand out but it’s ‘Atta Girl’ where the band peak. Great stuff throughout that tips its toes into Riot Grrl, Punk and Power Pop and emerges with a sound full of life, attitude and sublime songs. (13.05.21)
Hit HERE for material reviewed prior to 2021 including:
HAKAN (2 reviews), HANGMEN, HARD FEELINGS, HARD SKIN, HARRINGTON SAINTS, HAWKWIND (3 reviews), HEAVY HEART (2 reviews), HERESY, HEWHOCANNOTBENAMED, HIGGINS AND THE MAGIC OF THE MARKET PLACE, HIP PRIESTS, HOLDOUT, HOLIDAY and THE HUSSY