PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Cool is probably the best way to describe Dave Hanson’s Almost Horizontal. With its multi-genre musical idioms appealing to lovers of a great many genres – funk, rock, soul and even an occasional nod towards electro-pop – at its heart lies the blues and there is no getting away from the fact that Hanson knows his stuff.
Devil, with harmonic overdubs and intonations reverberating throughout, is reminiscent of Robert Plant back in the days of Big Log, while the out-and-out catchiness of Blind Faith with its indestructible theme of hope won’t be totally unfamiliar to those who hold BB King dear. Yet beneath it all are some damn fine sounds and an overall sense of subtlety supplied by Hanson’s chilled riffs and laid back vocals.
What truly shines throughout, though, is the fact that those involved in not only writing and performing Almost Horizontal are clearly enjoying themselves but that they are totally intent on making an album that appeals to them first. Nothing is rushed or exaggerated here, which provides a sense of roundedness that some albums often overlook.
This doesn’t mean to say that Hanson doesn’t know how to get it rocking, however. Do You Get the Fear is a truly magnificent foot stomper that will be rattling around your head for days, whereas Por Favor Senor and Small Town Sinner, both of which are simply fun, evoke strands of 10cc and Kid Creole (yeah, seriously) but, again, with an edge that are just joyous to listen in on.
Okay so Almost Horizontal comes at you from different musical standpoints with an eclecticism that’s perhaps not overly appealing to some. However, dig a little deeper and unquestionably it is a blues riddled album of rare quality that dares to be just that little bit different.
Almost Horizontal Tracklist
- Joanna
- Blind Faith
- Midday Sun
- Island Sky
- Do You Get The Fear?
- Let It Go
- Let It Go
- Por Favor Senor
- Crystal Ball
- Small Town Sinner
- Make Hay
Release Date: 3 Jun. 2016
Label: Six String Social Records
Review by Chris High
- £7.99
