Hum meets Mogwai? Pelican lite? Describe Massachusetts HarborLights however you want just don’t call them boring. Destined for great things, HarborLights long awaited debut, All Would Not Do, channels all those bands yet adds so much more to create an epic eight track beast that sways effortlessly between serene moments of clarity and jaw dropping segments of heavy guitar fueled sonic ecstasy.
Beginning with “All Is True”, HarborLights set a beautiful tone with guitarist Matthew Wright’s leads building to a scream. “A Blessing” really gives listeners a taste of HarborLights due to it’s length and fluctuations between quiet and loud passages. Bassist Andrew Diaz’s low end parallels Wright’s playing perfectly which makes not only “A Blessing” but the whole of All Would Not Do a triumph.
Once you’re into HarborLights, there’s no escaping. The music pulls you in and listeners will gladly accompany them through the twists and turns of their aural journey. Take the nine minute opus “As A Man” that builds and builds to….not where you expect. Or the delightful “Ecstasy by Default” which is Hum meets Joy Division and even surprises listeners by adding vocals courtesy of Wright. Adding to the landscape behind the scenes and subtly on the record is Mike Moschetto who not only mixed, mastered, engineered, and produced HarborLights, but also played drums (Matt Ellsworth normally plays).
If you haven’t checked out HarborLights yet then you’re doing yourself a great disservice. Their debut is out in all its glory now and you can get it here. Did I mention you can name your price? ‘Cause you can! Which means you can have it right now for….wait for it…free! But after listening to the whole album (And checking out the amazing cover art by up and comer Cody Frederickson), you’ll wanna pay something. Trust me.
Grade: A