Henry Fool - Men Singing. 2013 England

12 years after their debut, Henry Fool finally comes back with their sophomore effort. The all-instrumental, ironically titled Men Singing is an atmospheric, lush, and overall relaxing affair. And very professionally produced. Almost too much so. What saves this from being a somewhat typically cold and clinical piece of modern rock, is the defiant use of analog equipment. While it may be trendy to pull out an M400 Mellotron nowadays, not too many bands out there are boldly going forward with Moog Taurus bass pedals and fuzz bass. Add to that a magnificently toned psychedelic guitar (from Phil Manzanera no less) and sax/flute, and you truly have something worth levitating to. I suppose if I were to critique, or in reality make a personal request, I would prefer a bit more of a "rough edge" to the overall product. Perhaps throw in one bluesy organ based jam to release the tension that is built.

Ownership: CD: 2013 KScope

9/2/13 (new entry)