HÆLOS are an interesting proposition. Juxtaposing elements of dance, electro-pop, jazz fusion, and rock, the band offer up tunes that are invigorating and energetic. The new album from HÆLOS is called Any Random Kindness and it's out on Friday via Infectious and it's the sort of release that blurs the lines between genres even as the tunes within its grooves feel utterly natural and fresh.
Opener "Another Universe" is sleek and futuristic, while the elegantly-peppy "Buried in the Sand" is as interested in rhythm as it is in texture. Elsewhere, "Kyoto" and "Deep State" are full of sleek and beautiful passages, even as they unsettle in spots, while "Last One Out (Turn The Lights Off)" finds this U.K. group sounding a tiny bit like Radiohead circa Kid A. HÆLOS don't make tunes that fit neatly into any one category, and that's a thing to be thankful for. The band pursue a singular muse here, one that owes as much to ambient artists as it does to those who we'd call electronica acts.
Any Random Kindness is out on Friday via Infectious.
More details on HÆLOS via the band's official Facebook page, or via the band's official website.
[Photo: Jeff Hahn]