Hats off Gentlemen It’s Adequate – Nostalgia for Infinity
Hats off Gentlemen it’s Adequate, (HoGiA), is a London, UK band that I have been trying to review for a couple of years. Their new album, Nostalgia for Infinity; their fifth, will be released on May 6, 2020.
They have released four critically successful albums before it: Invisible, the first back in 2012, When the Kill Code Fails, released in 2015, Broken but Still Standing, released in 2017, Stand up When I was a Ship, an EP released in 2018, Out of Mind, released in 2018, and Ark, released in 2019.
Nostalgia for Infinity is an album which describes “the frailty of civilization, from a variety of perspectives, including 7 tracks inspired by the science fiction novels of author and former astrophysicist Alastair Reynolds, and others relating to nanotechnology, the Second World War, and environmental destruction”.
HoGiA is a two man, and one-woman outfit that includes: Malcolm Galloway, on lead vocals, guitar, keyboards/synths, and programming; Mark Gatland, on bass guitar, additional guitars, keyboards/synths, and Chapman Stick; and Kathryn Thomas, on flute, (tracks 1,2,9-11), and vocals on track 10.
As you put on your headphones; and you
really should for your first listen to this entire album, you are immediately
surrounded by a wall of beautiful music, including unique keyboards, flute,
bass and lead guitar on “Century Rain”. It is a warm and comfortable cocoon of
sound, preparing you for the journey ahead. Malcolm Galloway’s first vocals, “I
walked away. Left him in the gutter with his pamphlet crumpled. The
old me might have tried. But I was tired…”. His vocals remind me of Tim Bowness of NoMan. The music has
a Pink Floyd/Pineapple Thief sound, only Kathryn Thomas’ flute helps to distinguish
the music early. The keyboard work is closest to early Tony Banks, but
different. Galloway sings the familiar refrain, “Hidden
in the grooves, hidden in the bootlegs. Flooded with fakes, complex
encryption. Hard echo countdown delivery systems. Storm of
numbers flooding my head. Fatal permutations, sabotage and triple agents.
Sirens call the century rain”. All the while Thomas’ flute echoes what could have been, if
Peter Gabriel had been released to play more flute on earlier Genesis albums. A
wonderful beginning to an epic album. Galloway’s lyrics are riveting.
“Twin Earth”, opens with cool drums and percussion…and the magnificent sound of Thomas’ flute. She lifts the sound higher as Galloway sings, “I landed on the sloping tower. Through the twisted iron and awkward angles. I watched the glacial war, The furies and the ice wall”. I am a keyboard lover first and foremost, and this band does a mag job on keys. But it is Thomas’ flute-work that captures the sound on this album. Better that ole Ian’s musings. Determined, at times replace the keys and help provide an even warmer, more human presence to the music. I don’t miss the keys when she is playing. When they combine her flute and the high keys, the sound is stellar. The piano keywork is wonderful halfway through the song.
“Ark”, is an instrumental song, full of progressive keys and wonder. Drums sound a powerful entrance of bass and lead guitar as the keys play on. The melody is familiar, but missing that wonderful flute, that set fire to the first two tracks. This is the longest track at over 11 minutes. There is a short pause just after 3:40 that ushers in some of the best Banks-like keyboard sounds I have heard since maybe …And then there were Three. Great lead electric guitar work follows, teamed with excellent formidable bass and expert drumming, with keys supporting. The raindrop – like piano keys that follow are perfect. The keyboards that end the song brought back many memories of Tony Banks at the helm of Genesis in the mid-70s.
“Nanobotoma”, opens with cool keys, bass and electric guitar. Galloway really sounds
like Bowness on this track, “With retrospect
scope in hand. It may seem obvious now. But remember I was dying
at the time. And that can be quite distracting. These tiny
machines, spreading through me, dividing me.
These tiny machines, spreading through me. Supposed to
be saving me”. The hardest guitar rocker yet. But, those keys are
awesome.
The next song, “Chasing Neon”, really will bring on memories of the NoMan sound, especially from their latest album, Love You to Bits. Full of cool keyboards and pulsating drums. A rhythmic arcade of music. The high keys are brilliant. Just what this album needed another cool shift in sound. But I am missing that flute. Just sit back, if you can sit still, and enjoy the flow of music through your ears on this one.
“Glitterband”, opens with soft plucked guitar,
percussion, drums and some awfully cool synths and keys. Galloway sings, “Glitterband to rust belt, when the
plague came. Tore apart the orbital canopy. Ten thousand ways to
live, now all that glittered is just a stain, all that remains of
our sanctuary”. The keyboards and sound effects are tremendous.
“Conjoiners”, opens with cool metal sound effects and the stillness of Vangelis – like keyboards. This is a Pink Floyd – like symphony of keys, not unlike Shine on you Crazy Diamond on the second side of WYWH. It is an excellent ride.
“Scorpio”, is a fast pace keyboard and drum explosion. Short…but oh so sweet.
“Inhibitors”, opens with mysterious sound effects and synths. Very spacey and welcoming. Then, it turns into sound effect magic like an excerpt from side two of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Or as we Genesis fans call it affectionately , The Lamb. All the effects are brilliant, bit it’s the wind through Thomas’ flute, that is my favorite.
“Nostalgia for Infinity”, is the title track and my
favorite. Kathryn Thomas narrates the opening
in a whisper. Then, Thomas flies off on a
brilliant flute solo that you don’t want to end. Galloway sings,
“You don’t like what you’ve done. And I don’t
like what you’ve done. But we don’t get to choose who we become. You don’t
want to know what you could do. You’d keep yourself to ghosts if you could. Chose
to come to life what could you do? Nostalgia for Infinity, look at you”. Thomas soars on flute
again. Next album, please give Kathryn Thomas a flute solo.
“Voyager”, is
another excellent instrumental full of keyboards and Pink Floyd/Pure Reason
Revolution level, guitar and keyboard blending. Kathryn Thomas returns to add wonderful flute.
On “Sixth Extinction”, opens with cool fast electric bass and lead guitar, with drums supporting. Galloway almost raps, “The last five times you scraped through. Right place, right time, convenient body plan. A bit of luck with the winning streak stretch. It doesn’t have to be this way, it’s not yet too late. We could choose to change, if we could choose to change”. A great pounding track full of drums, percussion and harder edge electric guitar.
“Nostalgia for Infinity radio edit”, is a bonus track radio edit of the title track. A nice gift and addition. With more of Kathryn Thomas’s beautiful flute.
Nostalgia for Infinity is a long, innovative and expressive album, full of character. My new number one progressive album of the year…so far. This is the sound and method of music making, with which epic progressive rock was made. So much Pink Floyd and “Lamb” era Genesis memories, you do not want it to end. What craftsmanship. This album is full of so many superlatives that I leave it to your ears to enjoy. May cannot get here fast enough for fans. Please listen and buy this album. You, like me, will be a fan for life. Already looking to collect the back catalog.
In regard to the band’s name: Yes, gentlemen…this music is more than adequate….it is fantastic!
The interesting cover art was created by Mrs. White Photoart.
Track List
- Century Rain – 9:17
- Twin Earth – 5:59
- Ark – 11:48
- Nanobotoma – 5:27
- Chasing Neon – 5:35
- Glitterband – 5:33
- Conjoiners – 4:32
- Scorpio – 1:20
- Inhibitors – 3:26
- Nostalgia for Infinity – 7:00
- Voyager – 5:50
- Sixth Extinction – 4:06
- Nostalgia for Infinity radio edit – 3:47
https://hatsoffgentlemen.bandcamp.com/
https://hatsoffgentlemen.bandcamp.com/album/nostalgia-for-infinity