By Kevin Jenkins
In my life-long pursuit of great musical finds, I’ve come to realize that the bands, albums, and songs that I find the most captivating are typically full of risk, experimentation, and outside-the-box musical vision.
Imagine my surprise to flood my ears with the album Nostalgia For Infinity by London-based Hats Off Gentleman It’s Adequate. An absolute Battleship’s worth of music, delicately navigating the waters where Prog Rock, Electronica, Funk, and Melodic jazz come together, this album invites you to dive in and take a swim – and believe me, the water is damn fine.
Introspective lyrics run throughout, telling stories that range thematically from dark and pensive, to historic and reflective. Complimented by music that seems to narrate the mood, many of this album’s songs play more like chapter in a book than a song on an album.
This collection makes for a great night-in listening, as many of the songs on this album clock in at 5-8 minutes in length, (contrasted by the blistering Scorpio at all of one minute and twenty seconds). Malcolm Galloway’s sonic story-telling unfolds in movements and layers, with intricate and delicate flute features interwoven with heavy and dark guitar and synth riffs, making for a Pink-Floyd-Fist-Fights-The-Mars-Volta up and down ride for the listener, but never heavy for the sake of being heavy, and picking up the baton where Bowie left off.
On the technical side, I heard several interesting techniques skillfully used on this record that make it easy to believe that every note and layer was carefully thought out, and produced with a loving craftsmanship. Examples include the drums being recorded in a rather distant, semi-echo style, while crushing guitars are panned to feel as though they are sitting on your shoulders, this is a fantastic technical example of how to squeeze the right flavors out of every piece in the mix.
I would offer up this collection to anyone seeking to study technical prowess tamed into a digestible and furthermore to anyone looking to dip their toes into some undefined musical waters. Too diverse to be contained by genre, Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate are a band worth exploring, but more so, a band worth trusting to lead you on a journey. I’m anxious to see what comes next from these lads from London.
Thank you so much for your kind support.