May 31, 2016

The Luck of Eden Hall: The Acceleration of Time

BEST OF 2016
3
HCTF

Chicago neo-psychedelic rock band The Luck of Eden Hall have been around sine 1989. They never made it big, but their cult favorite status is undisputed. The new double album The Acceleration of Time pays tribute to the sprawling concept albums of yore, with lush guitars, plenty of echo on the vocals, the warm sound of the mellotron and a rhythm section with an uncanny gift for melodic fills.

This an album on which time, the main theme, is captured in song and production values of yesteryear: tapes played backwards in the prog rock instrumental You Asked About Water On Mars, the panning effects in Channel 50 Creature Feature, the call-and-response vocals and bubbling keyboards in the angry stomper The Happiness Vending Machine (bonus points if you can name all the nods to Pink Floyd in this one), and swirling washes of mellotron throughout.

The band's composer Gregory Curvey had a vision for a longform piece of music and with the aid of his collaborators he turned it into a multifaceted, technicolor reality. The Acceleration of Time is a trip that will end up in the upper regions of many "Best of 2016" lists. Recommended if you like King Crimson, Pink Floyd and Peter Gabriel-era Genesis. Liquid slides not included.

The Luck of Eden Hall:
Gregory Curvey: guitars, vocals, piano
Jim Licka: keyboards, mellotron
Mark Lofgren: bass, vocals
Carlos Mendoza: drums

The Acceleration of Time is released on Dutch label Headspin Records on black and white vinyl. The digital version via Bandcamp also includes four side length files. Limited pop-up CD and normal CD also thu Bandcamp. Release date: June 1st.

Tracks:
  1. Slow
  2. Blown To Kingdom Come
  3. A Procession Of Marshmallow Soldiers Across The Clockwork Pudding
  4. The Acceleration Of Time
  5. Channel 50 Creature Feature
  6. Arthropoda Lepidoptera
  7. The Family Timekeeper
  8. You Asked About Water On Mars
  9. Only Robots Can Search The Deep Ocean Floor
  10. Another High Speed Blowout
  11. The Happiness Vending Machine
  12. Twelve
  13. White Caps In The Wind
  14. The Saints Are Quiet Above Us
  15. A Man Of Conservative Style

» theluckofedenhall.com

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