Hildamay – Miles Away (Album)
If you’ve had a chance to hear the new single Changing The Key from Kent boys Hildamay, then you’ll have a rough idea of what they’re bringing with their new album, Miles Away, released on November 5th through Wolf At Your Door Records.
If you’ve not managed to catch the single, Changing The Key is a 3 minute segment of 45 minutes of fierce, angst-ridden carnage. Hildamay’s new album is raw, with Tim’s voice perfectly unpolished and the chugging chords resonating. On Miles Away they prove that not only are they capable of providing soaring, addictive hooks but that they are not guilty of providing the innocent, fairy light and sweet hardcore that seems to be saturating the scene of late.
There is a punk-rock grit and sense of authenticity about Miles Away that may not have been expected from a band with labelmates such as Mallory Knox or Deaf Havana with a much cleaner sound to them.
There’s a definite positive collaboration between sweet, soaring melody and punchy, raw heaviness on this album, due to the talented crafting that’s gone into it. Slamming bass and drums introduce Broken Records in a way that Deftones would be proud of, and this method ensures that these songs will soon become much more than that to the listener, sticking with them anthemically, clinging and refusing to be let go.
Despite the punchy, in your face attitude of Miles Away, the highlights of the album are the moments where the chaos subsides, where the twinkling riffs and majestic vocals shine through in all their glory. Tracks such as Letters Like Bullets and the piano outro of Because I Can’t Sleep I Make Music At Night are perfect examples of such majesty, and the ideal showcase of the diversity and capability of Hildamay.
On Miles Away they have proven their capability, diversity, energy and enthusiasm for their passion. Hildamay deserve to go further, and if this album is anything to go by, there is no doubt that in 2013 they will excel in the music scene, to the delight of fans old and new.
