A-F Records – 12 March 2021
Post-apocalyptic Americana with a pop punk edge.
Hanalei is one of the iterations of the varied musical output of Brian Moss, who has also been involved with bands the Wunder Years and The Ghost. Where those two acts are informed by more of an aggressive punkier approach, on Black Snow Hanalei offers up an Americana oriented sound which retains the melodic sensibility of pop punk. It is an album that feels acutely involved in the general calamity that constitutes the present moment. The lyricism is both sharp and vulnerable with a tone of incisive introspection throughout.
Drawing together a series of loosely connected vignettes, the songs inhabit the dystopian landscape of a world in the near future, which has been laid to waste. They have an air of snippets of Cormac Mccarthy refracted through the vocal cadence of Michael Stipe. The opening track “Screen Echoes” marries this darkly articulated perspective with a jaunty instrumentation. Moss sings of being ‘captive to the network until circuits corrode.’
Over the course of the album the theme of corrosion is approached from a number of angles. This is evident on the more sonically upbeat numbers such as “Regional Manger” with its propulsive drumbeat, almost surf rock guitar line and chanted call and response vocals. The title track “Black Snow” also ups the tempo somewhat, the chugging rhythm providing a nice counterpoise to the bitter nostalgic qualities of the song.
Elsewhere the haunting track “A Billion Ghosts” explores the cruelty perpetrated against animals. It does so in a stripped back fashion which gives centre stage to the anguished vocals. “Sumatra’s Burning” opts for a similar technique, relying primarily on acoustic guitar until the latter stages of the song. It showcases Moss’s keen understanding of wistful atmospherics as a means of underscoring his songwriting. Midway through the album the instrumental track “Common Coqui” melds sounds from nature with a gentle guitar line and slow but groove tinged beat. It works well as an interlude, offering perhaps a glimmer of hope among the generally darker themes.
Black Snow is a carefully wrought album which manages to tread the balance between delicate, pithy observation and a heavier, more despairing urgency. Although in some moments the pace can feel a little too plodding and downbeat this is offset by the intricacy of the lush if melancholy soundscape. The predominantly somber tone encapsulates a mood that has been pretty ubiquitous in these times of quarantine and isolation. Yet there are hints of some incipient hope, largely submerged but striving to be heard.
