CORPORATE LINE: If anyone can claim to have had their career choice in some way chosen for them, it’s Aqualung’s Matt Hales; born above his parents Southampton independent record store, with a piano dominating the front room, he was writing songs by the age of 4. By 11 he’d been commissioned to compose his school Song (the melody stolen, he confesses without a hint of shame, from Howard Jones’ “Humans Lib” album), by 14 he was co-writing with his brother a clutch of “songs about road safety”. Awarded a scholarship at 16 to study composition in Winchester, by 17 he’d had his first symphony “Life Cycle” performed by a 60-piece orchestra, with Matt himself conducting. No ordinary childhood. No ordinary child.
THE GREAT:
“Brighter Than Sunshine” – This is an absolutely brilliant track. Thank the Lord above that someone can still write songs like this. Thank you! This certainly proves Matt Hales is more than a Coldplay wanna-be.
“Strange & Beautiful (I’ll Put A Spell On You)” – Sure it sounds like Coldplay—but it really outshines all those who tried to be the second-coming of Coldplay.
“Falling Out of Love” – Gorgeous.
“Good Times Gonna Come” – It sounds like a rainy day pout song and yet it invokes some really good feelings.
“Breaking My Heart” – I swore I wouldn’t cry.
THE AVERAGE:
“Tongue-Tied” – It must have been hard to keep up the torrid pace of writing so many great songs—so what this isn’t the greatest.
THE BAD:
Absolutely nothing.
FRANKLY: I will admit, at first Aqualung bugged me with their not-so-unique Coldplay style. However, after a few listens Matt Hales won me over. These are all genuinely good songs and you can’t deny anyone who can invoke feelings and stir up such lovely melodies. The track “Brighter Than Sunshine” is worth buying the album all by itself.
+ Rae Gun
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