It doesn't matter what side of the pond they hail from. If the band wears a strong Beach Boys' influence on its sleeve, I'll usually fall for it, hook, line and sinker. The High Llamas, Wondermints, early Thrills... happens all of the time. Seven years ago, Hal was the new "it" band of this lot. It must have been heady times. Labels fawned over them, and Rough Trade eventually snagged the Irishmen for their self-titled debut. Much deserved accolades and kind words followed.
I have no idea why, but it took until 2012 for Hal's sophomore effort to surface. For the second consecutive post I'm wondering if anyone out there has heard new material from a band making a comeback after many years away. For those of us in America, Hal's new 'The Time The Hour' is available as an import for a whopping $25 on Amazon. I need some feedback before I can shell out that many shekels.
If you have never heard Hal before, here are a couple of my favorites from the band's stellar debut. "Play the Hits," incidentally, was produced by Edwyn Collins. Yes, that Edwyn Collins.
Hal - Play the Hits (mp3)
Hal - Keep Love as Your Golden Rule (mp3)
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