Us Alone
Hayden
“Motel,” the opening track of Hayden’s latest release—his first in four years—intrigued me with its warped organ and cavernous piano, but I was disappointed by what followed. That’s not because it is inherently unpleasant to listen to, but it bored me. One can’t deny that the beautiful timbre of his voice and matter-of-fact familiarity of his verse is charming and comfortable. However, the album is another coming-of-age manifesto, which in accordance with the zeitgeist of today means a transition from adulthood to real adulthood, with all the encumbrances and joys of children and steady relationships and death. Momentarily I was swayed into enjoying it for its distant drums, interesting use of unusual noise samples, and variety of piano and guitar based songs in this almost-one-man-band recording, but it didn’t grow on me. I’d rather just go out for a coffee with him to find out about what’s going on in his life.
-Tricia Roy
[rating:2]
