HC-B
Soundcheck For A Missing Movie
Hidden Shoal Recordings

The Sicilian post-rockers in HC-B [named after the great French photojournalist Henri Cartier-Bresson - editor's note] has on their second album, Soundcheck For A Missing Movie, done everything the single Hot Afternoon in the Bull's Square promised, being this massive piece of symphonic rock.

Soundchek For A Missing Movie is an all instrumental album, with one little exception. And, as the title suggests, it sounds like the soundtrack of a movie - a probably very good movie.

The opening track "A Dusty Book, a City of Lights" sets an elegant standard, with it's dreamy, jazz-like beginning that builds up to a crescendo of heavy bass, celebrating horns, frantic drums and an insisting guitar. And as many of the other tracks on this album, it is an almost ten minute long pleasure to listen to. Just holding you on the verge of noisiness.

This balance between the melodic, almost atmospheric symphonic, and the more noise-rock expression is some of what impresses me the most with this brilliant album. And of course all the little details, like when the singing on "Slow Compensation" is just another instrument, or how they sound shapes the tension in "Missing Movie". Or how the sound fragments that does the background on "Black" just gives it the right visual touch....

And here I could have gone on an on about the small things that makes this such a great piece of modern symphonic rock. Because that is what HC-B present on Soundcheck For A Missing Movie; post-rock as it is meant to be. Seductive, visual, noisy and mind-blowing.

Hidden Shoal says: Soundcheck For A Missing Movie will see its official CD release at the end of March.

Copyright © 2009 Aslaug O Klausen