NEW ALBUM: DBA ~ Halcyon Hymns

[Ruby]

DOWNES BRAIDE ASSOCIATION ~ Halcyon Hymns



Hmmm - this is pop/rock. Chris Braide and Geoff Downes are pros so it's all very well put together and they certainly know about songcraft but it's all a bit bright - not many different shades and tones, kinda like an A-type personality, lol! However, it IS called halcyon with good reason - a remembering of sunniness and past bliss so I suppose that's what it is - maybe there are just one too many anthems which IMHO may have the effect of making the whole thing seem less than sincere. That feels very uncharitable of me - people are raving about this album - it just seems a bit too shouty and possibly a tad overproduced, but then I like albums that have a mix of sung and instrumental tracks - makes for breathing room. There is little to no breathing room on this album and to me, it's erring on the pretentious side although the spoken word bits in "Remembrance", for example, are probably, and quite cleverly, intended to provoke that reaction! Good instruments and voices nonetheless. 

"Remembrance" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgh1jIxGvgI

The tracks that did stand out were "She'll be Riding Horses" - quite a catchy number ... more honestly pop, I think ... 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaqmFnK5aOA

"King of the Sunset" with David Longdon of Big Big Train ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZtON6Kvgq8

and "Warm Summer Sun" (appropriately enough) with Marc Almond ...