Photo: Marc Carr
Hunting Hall - 'Helium'
His opening gambit is a wonder of conflicting feelings. Here, submission and defiance compete in angst-fuelled lyrics while lush rhythms lift the battle upwards – reaching an almost spiritual end point. The alchemy of moving the troublesome into the sublime - and Shearwood has the temperature just right. It’s a beguiling track which shows masterful command of emotions – guiding us on a winding pathway between structure and chaos.
On the surface, and in particular in its first half, Hunting Hall's debut solo single 'Helium' is a musically care-free affair, keeping proceedings light-hearted with an uplifting electro-pop veneer. Tim Shearwood's vocal however hints at a ponderous reflection that is filled with regret, not at ones own choices, but more the choices of others that are outside of our control, drifting relationships that the protagonist was not ready to let go of; "I don't want whiskey, I want you to miss me, friends of mine..." A bountiful smattering of 80's-tinged synth allow the listener the dual choice of simply letting the music wash over them in a detached manner, or pausing to absorb the track's themes, not an easy balancing act to execute by any means.
https://www.facebook.com/huntinghallmusic
