5 Stars
Audio CD (paid link)
What a wonderful if misleading title for a band. Hats Off Gentleman It’s Adequate are for starters much more than adequate! Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Sublime would be far more accurate. But it is all a bit of a mouthful isn’t it.
Perhaps the imaginative title can be put down to band leader Malcolm Galloway having been, in a previous life, a consultant neuropathologist and UCL Medical School honorary senior lecturer. I’m just a dog—I don’t even know what all that means, but it sounds mighty impressive.
Malcolm Galloway leads the band from the front, singing in his emotional way, playing some inspiring guitar, keyboards and synthesizers. He is supported by Mark Gatland on bass guitar and various other instruments, plus on this album the magnificent Kathryn Thomas on flute.
The music is inspired by some pretty heavy subject matter as you can imagine. The songs explore toxic overconfidence and the constant human failure to not learn from our mistakes. The music should appeal to fans of Pink Floyd, especially those who have a preference for Roger Waters.
This is Hats Off It’s Adequate’s sixth album and to this point is the pinnacle of their recording career, although I am sure there is far more to come.
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The band progressed enough to release their albums on their own record label, Glass Castle Recordings, which at least gives them a fair amount of control over their future.
The music has generally been pigeonholed under progressive rock, but let me assure you it’s far more than that; far too eclectic to be put into one category.
The second song, ‘Back Where I Started’ is the first to feature Kathryn Thomas, her flute blending perfectly with the bold guitars and keyboards. The flute is also prominent on ‘End of the Line.’
The music can be starkly bare, or complex in the twinkling of an eye.
Opening with ‘Silence Is A Statement,’ a great melody with waves of guitar, synthesizer, and heartfelt vocals. The thumping bass lines drag the song along at a riveting pace. There are thirteen pieces of music altogether, lasting over seventy minutes, but the music grabs you by the throat, demanding your attention.
The second song, ‘Back Where I Started’ is the first to feature Kathryn Thomas, her flute blending perfectly with the bold guitars and keyboards. The flute is also prominent on ‘End of the Line.’
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The first instrumental song, the wonderfully monikered ‘Perky Pat,’ has a quiet introduction but then takes you off on a journey into the synthesizers-powered stratosphere. Hat’s Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate do space rock, but happily enjoy the trip.
‘Interlude’ and ‘Lava Lamprey’ are also fine instrumentals, with ‘Interlude’ featuring some fine guitar/drum interplay.
The title track (The Confidence Trick) is a collection of complex but compelling musical ideas
. . . making a bold statement about trying to learn from the past.
‘Refuge’ is the centerpiece of the album. It’s an instrumental epic inspired by Malcolm Galloway’s great-grandmother’s escape from the Nazi holocaust. As you can imagine, emotions run very high over the ten minutes of this piece but also make for a musical masterpiece in line with any other music performed by any other band. At points, the music is brutally disturbing.
‘World War Terminus’ is inspired by the war that everyone lost in Philip K Dick’s “Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep.” An interesting ditty.
The title track (The Confidence Trick) is simply a collection of musical ideas that sum up Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate. Complex but compelling. Its subject matter being a bold statement about trying to learn from the past is so relevant over the centuries.
One can only hope that this album will bring the band into the mainstream, rather than just their committed, loyal, but limited cult following.
Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate are
Malcolm Galloway – Lead Guitar and Vocals plus assorted instruments
Mark Gatland – Bass Guitar plus assorted instruments
Special guest Kathryn Thomas – Flute
Songs
End of the Line
World War Terminus
Pretending To Breathe
Another Plague
Refuge
Interlude
Lava Lamprey
All Empires Fall
Cygnus
Written by Mott the Dog
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