17 July 2008

The Morning Hours

“At their core, the songs are solid, regardless of their wide-screen arrangements”.

On A Whim is the debut album for new innovative rock quartet The Morning Hours. Formed in Adelaide in late 2007, Paul Vallen (guitars) and Matthew Fraser (vocals, guitars, keyboards, electronics) have known and collaborated with each other since high school days. Ben Cheney (bass) and Danny Leo (drums, percussion) complete the band line-up, having been progressively introduced in more recent times.

The Morning Hours draw influences from all manner of artists, with their sound and style being best compared to such bands as Death Cab For Cutie, Elbow, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, the Beatles, the Flaming Lips and Brian Wilson.

On A Whim is musically an ambitious album, all the more so as it was written, recorded, produced and mixed on a non-existent budget at home by Matthew with additional assistance from Mike Heading. The band only sought outside help at the mastering stage. “We didn’t want to be in the position of having to make excuses for the end product not being comparable to an album with a larger budget,” says Ben, “so we put the required time in to do the material justice”.

The majestic end result defies its modest development. From the soaring guitars and electronics of opener “Teach Me How To Fly”, the all-in party evidenced in “Dark Brown Eyes”, the electro meets bluegrass of “Lucky”, the sonic blast of “More Time For Me Next Year” through to the 40-voice choir in “Strong All The Time” (recalling the vocal work of the Beach Boys), The Morning Hours are not a textbook rock quartet. “It was important for this album that we paint a bigger picture than would be expected from a debut album done in the suburbs,” Paul offers. Quieter songs such as “Never Here” and “Weighed Down” contain all manner of flourishes for a late night listening session with headphones.

With an anthem in 7/4 time (“Buildings May Fall”) and the melodic and harmonic invention exemplified in songs such as “Dark Brown Eyes”, “Once More With Feeling”, “Strong All The Time” and “Don’t Write Me Off Just Yet”, the band has a formidable songwriter in Matthew. “Even songs that might appear to be more straightforward, such as “Lucky” and “Weighed Down”, have subtle quirks in their composition that go beyond what one could ordinarily hope for,” Danny attests. Lyrically, the songs explore mega issues such as life, loss, love, memories, regret and politics on a more micro and personal level. “At their core, the songs are solid, regardless of their wide-screen arrangements,” Danny concludes.