Progressor.net Review

Analysis. Rock is a type of music that has been extensively explored for more than 50 years now, with a great variety of musical expressions unfolding as the years have gone by, and musicians constantly have tried to push the musical and stylistic boundaries accepted by the public at large. Great innovators have come and gone, and while HALF PAST FOUR isn't among those the band should be given credit for taking an innovative approach to the art of music production. It is obvious that the band's members want to break away from previously explored musical territories, and in time they might just manage to do just that. In the meantime, those who appreciate a slice of creative and rather challenging musical escapades should receive a lot of pleasure from this initial effort of theirs. Quirky, offbeat art rock is the name of the game here and while the band cites artists like King Crimson, Frank Zappa and early Genesis as its main influences, their musical undertakings more often remind me of Gentle Giant. Multilayered compositions, with one or more distinct melodic themes, spiced with dampened, sophisticated dissonances and disharmonies is a good general characterization of the album, and while art rock is the stylistic foundation of choice, elements from quite a few other musical directions are liberally woven throughout: jazz first and foremost, but traces and elements of ska, punk and ragtime appear here and there as well. There are even a few numbers with nods in the direction of tango and flamenco here, and also some Middle-Eastern flavored moments can be found. Offbeat humor, very much in the spirit of Frank Zappa, makes frequent appearances, and to top it all off there are the lead vocals of Kyree Vibrant, whose delivery certainly lives up to her surname. As far as comparisons go I'd name Toyah Wilcox as a singer with a similar voice. Vibrant's delivery is more controlled, though, and with something more of a jazz tinge to it. Personally I think Half Past Four covers a bit too much ground on this initial production however. It seems the outfit has an awful lot of creativity they need to get out, to the point where channeling it has become difficult. There's no denying the talent here though, and I'm convinced that many will feel right at home with an unrestrained, artistic effort such as this one.

Conclusion.Quirky art rock taking its cues from the likes of Frank Zappa and Gentle Giant and blending it with a tad more mainstream-oriented strong melodic themes is what is offered up on this debut production by Canadians Half Past Four. Innovative in approach, sophisticated and challenging numbers fill up this disc from start to finish. As far as recommendations go, I'd think those fond of offbeat art rock with strong melodies and the subtle use of musical effects would be the perfect audience for this band and this disc.

OMB=Olav M Bjornsen: January 6, 2010
The Rating Room

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