It’s easy to spot when an album isn’t authentic. You can hear when someone is trying to be different, make a buck, or attract a following. By the same coin, you can tell when something is genuine, when an artist is really about the project they’re making. Personally, this was quickly what I saw in The Halem Albright Band’s new album “Blue Moon Confessions.” Even before listening I loved the awkward, almost family-photo style album cover. Then starting off the bat, the opening track “Come Back” takes a familiar sounding feel and turns into something new. It has tinges of Southern Rock, Alternative rock, and psychedelia. It can be hard to make something new that doesn’t feel forced. In spite of this, The Halem Albright Band has done this.
The album has really interesting mixes of electronic music, classic rock, calypso, and psychedelic rock. The second track “Lost In the Breeze” feels like Jimmy Buffet dropped acid, which I never expected would be a positive description but I really love this song. The album seems to get more explorative and experimental as it goes on, with the weirdness peaking at “Blue Eyed Ram.” The experimentalism cools off in the last two songs, but they maintain the fun weirdness present in the rest of the album. When listening to the album, I can’t tell if the band listens to Sub-Pop, Experimental Synth music, or Reggae in their free time. Each song surprises me but doesn’t go so far into the unknown that I get disinterested. It is really difficult to get truly unconventional with music and keep most listeners engaged, but The Halem Albright Band does this exceptionally well.
I can tell off the bat that I’ll be showing this album to my musician friends, because it really is different from a lot of things I have heard. I really enjoyed listening to it, and it truly surprised me. I highly recommend keeping an eye out for the album’s release on streaming platforms, because the wait will be worth your while. For updates, you can follow them on Instagram (@halemalbright).
Reviewed by Noah Rozzell
