Staff Reviews

Laurel Halo - Chance of Rain

Review by Adam Bychawski

Chance of Rain defies easy explanation, an album that is more like a bout of freak weather than a light shower.»

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Laurel Halo returns to LP format after two critically acclaimed EPs with the driving, meditative 'Chance Of Rain'. Evolving from earlier works, it's a cerebral exploration of the intersection between rhythmic and ambient music, drawing together moments of movement and stillness, psychedelia and presence of mind. On 'Chance Of Rain', rhythms melt with unpredictable structures, ambient drift and deep harmonic passages, while keyboard-based interludes reinforce both the far-out and contemplative aspects of the record as a whole. Halo's evolution as a live performer has directed her music's development in part, as the tracks on 'Chance Of Rain' are fleshed out versions of live hardware improvisations. This LP is far off from the definition of a traditional dance long player; where tracks like 'Serendip', 'Chance Of Rain' and 'Ainnome' invite with infectious grooves, others like 'Oneiroi', 'Still/Dromos' and 'Thrax' invert these energies, revealing sinister potential in the process. Again Halo's knack for illusory detail and sound design shines, and another duality feeling emerges, this time one of unearthly joy.
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