Haydon Spencely-Heart Strings
Knuci records 11/22/2010 release date
http://www.facebook.com/haydon.spenceley


Oh my goodness.
How I do I review an album that sounds like an amalgam of every band I ever loved back in the early 80's? This is madness, I mean there's no way Hadyon is familiar with Canadian bands like The Spoons, Rational Youth or Images in Vogue. It's doubtful he's familiar with much of the music he conjures the ghosts of on Heart Strings. I suppose using TR 606/808 samples (or perhaps even the real thing) do trigger memories of certain songs from a bygone era.
Haydon does so many things right this time. He keeps his vocals up front and well mixed/mastered, enough processing and EQ to make them clear and understandable. My criticism of his last album was that the vocals didn't take a break, there was not breathing room. This time the songs are constructed in a way that emphasizes the vocals and lyrics by having instrumental breaks that punctuate the importance of what Haydon is actually putting forth lyrically on Heart Strings.
There is a certain sense of longing in Lost My Heart that is well done, avoiding cliché and suiting the down tempo instrumental bed.
Lay It Down has an epic quality and when it ends at 2:43, it leaves you wanting more.
I'll resist the temptation to review each track, go out and buy the cd.
This is a big leap forward in musical maturity from Circles. It feels unhurried in it's execution, a man with confidence and a definite idea of what he wants to put forth before he even fires up the console for his first session.
This is a very, very solid effort

9/10

DAA