Hheaven - A Single Rose
by Dave Goodwin
published: 16 / 6 / 2016
Label:
Aagoo Records
Format: CD
intro
Marvellous 80's-influenced synth pop on debut mini-album from American electronic two-piece, Hheaven
At around eighteen minutes long this catchy little package seems more like an EP than an album. It's a collaboration between Morgan Enos, who sticks out because of his work with Hollow Sunshine and Other Houses, and Bryant Keith Bahyhan from Paperman. For both parts this is nothing like their usual offerings and makes for a really excellent listen. Bayhan was also instrumental in producing this little gem but had life made easy for him by being able to work with Enos' sparse demos and it was all written in one summer. There are just seven tracks on here of which two of them take up just two minutes. The opener 'Fanfare' does exactly what it says it does. It is twenty six seconds of a synth fanfare. 'Bad Balloons' is a meatier affair and 'Kabbalist Heist' a bit slowe, but all three tracks give you an idea of what to expect from the rest of the album. It reminds me of early Depeche Mode or Yazoo but without the strong vocals. That is not a criticism but I have always believed that strong synth music suits a strong vocal. Take McCluskey - OMD, Gahan - Depeche, Oakey - League? Then on the other hand what about Stephen 'Tintin' Duffy? Soft synth with a soft vocal. Anyhow, it doesn't detract from what is for me a great collaboration. Track 5 'Gasping' in the fabric is so reminiscent of an OMD album track with its wonderful noises and sample tamperings, as does 'Until Next Time...' which sounds like it came straight from 'Architecture and Morality' The last track, 'Do Work/Stay Working', is a homage to that stay in school and be cool type thing and starts off all choral but soon kicks in with some danceable eighties beats and really is quite good. It may only be eighteen minutes long but it is worth the time, and in the end it had me pressing the replay button again and again. This comes in lovely 10" vinyl, CD and of course digital download. A short album, but you know what they say, short is sweet - Marvellous!
Track Listing:-
1 Fanfare2 Bad Balloons
3 Kabbalist Heist
4 Correct Assumption
5 Gasping in the Fabric
6 Until Next Time…
7 Do Work/Stay Working
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/Hheaven-1693336187568395https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF73ldZeQO3ZpRdpMXMRQJw
Label Links:-
http://www.aagoo.com/https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aagoo-records/147333939795
https://twitter.com/Aagoo
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