Half Moon Run is a four-piece indie folk/rock band that hails from Montreal, Quebec. They released their debut album Dark Eyes in 2012, and just followed it up on October 23rd, 2015 with Sun Leads Me On.
Typically, critics find that bands that have phenomenal debut albums have weak sophomore albums.
But SLMO is far from weak. It’s much more confident sounding than the first, and it sounds like they’ve grown more confident and comfortable in the studio and with each other.
Half Moon Run displays impressive musicianship and proves themselves again as the indie masters of melody. The album is fun, somber and epic all at the same time, while maintaining a perfect balance of creativity and professionalism.
What really stood out on Dark Eyes is the beautiful four part harmonies, and SLMO has no shortage of them. There’s also no shortage of beautiful melodies, raging synths and rolling drums.
The album also serves as a trip back in time, as it sounds like HMR visits the root of their musical influences. 80’s synths and woodwind arrangements and even the lyrics are reminiscent of older folk artists like America and Dylan.
The album flows brilliantly as synths and electronic elements are thrown in. The last song, Trust is strangely synth heavy, but is just as melodic. Perhaps it’s a taste of what’s to come from HMR, and if that’s the case, it will be well worth the wait.
