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Sometimes it’s almost impossible to hear the vocals in these places. Perhaps it’s the knackered PA system? Or that the vocals just won't cut through the guitars? Or maybe the singer is as weak as piss. Nine times out of ten it’s the latter. However, tonight the ‘plague of the lost lead vocal’ is definitely not a concern for Dublin four piece HAL. This band's harmony-soaked stylings are as immediately prominent as the quality of the songs they colour – this in turn is a complete pleasure to watch. Drenched in lovingly crafted melodies, HAL’s infectious tunes are both isolating and enchanting. Unlike the pathetically faltering vocals of those other purveyors of the west-coast lament, The Thrills, Dave Allen’s distinctively twanged vocals provide an emphatically emotional focus for this set of lifting piano jaunts and glowing countrified gems.
Rooted in the essence of Neil Young, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, and a certain amount of Paul Simon, the strength of this band comes striding forth in the stripped confidence of their delivery. Although influenced and inspired by this fairly obvious cast of 60’s/70’s songwriters, HAL inhabit a rare space – a band starting out with songs that are as memorable on first hearing as they are charming when performed live, even in freezing December. The fact that at this early stage a sure-fire hit may not reside within the bands' songbook is quickly eclipsed by their irresistible devotion to those rarely found assets, melody and measure. HAL may not make you're trouser legs rattle and blow you to the back of the room, but with tunes as dynamically swooning as these, who cares?
