Hello Shark’s latest release Delicate (September 2016) is Lincoln Halloran’s first album with Orindal Records, adding to his bandcamp collection of hidden gems. The album plays through with the same swoony, dismal and yet still uplifting energy from beginning to end.
Each track is soft and powerful, as Halloran tells his stories with so much detail you feel like you lived through them too. The haunting keys, deep guitar and slow drums of Track 3 “Jackson Brown” will find its place to linger in the back of your mind.
Delicate creates a feeling like you have discovered your new favourite space, where you can reflect and be comfortably alone. The album plays seamlessly, with each song smoothly drifting into the next. Every friend mentioned is referred to by first names, which really adds to the personal feel, and makes each line accessible. “Fishing for Bats” is a pick-me-up halfway through the album, with a faster drum machine beat, drowned out keys and synth effects.
The harmonies with Free Cake for Every Creature’s singer Katie Bennet add even more passion to the stories. “Laugh It Off” is stripped down and simple but with vocals so unapologetically raw and vulnerable, the track doesn’t need anything more to make it stand out. This song represents just how emotionally overwhelming Hello Shark’s minimalist style can be.
“A Wife” wraps the album up on a light and hopeful note, leaving you feeling content through all the ups and downs. The closing lines “you can be so noisy, even when you don’t say a thing” embody the quiet yet overpowering spirit of the whole album.
Zoe McCrea