As we are all now fully immersed into our classes, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say most of us are willingly looking for a small distraction. Good thing it’s the end of the week, which means another Gr8 Unknown from yours truly.
This week I present Half Moon Run, a Canadian indie rock band. I could be completely wrong in assuming that they may be unknown on this campus, but at least I’ll capture the stragglers who haven’t yet hopped on the wagon.
Half Moon Run was a band I discovered long ago, but they have been ever prevalent in my daily listening. As I stumbled across their first album, Dark Eyes, in 2013, I felt myself change a little bit. The feeling came from a particular song, “Full Circle.” Attempting to describe this feeling years later proves difficult, so listening to the song itself is a better way to do it justice.
There is an incredible feeling of urgency present in the song. It’s one of those songs that leaves you feeling empty and full all at the same time. The rhythm is infectious and the lyricism is difficult, but catching. Once you learn the words to the song, it’s fun to sing along — it feels like a tongue twister, but once you get it down you feel like you’ve become a riddle master.
Devon Portielje’s — the lead singer — vocals, are also super unique. The acoustic guitarist, Conner Molander, had hands that seemed to glide over what sounded like a complicated riff.
The next song I discovered is called “Call Me in the Afternoon.” Once again, this song has a strong sense of urgency, made so because of the rhythm. This time, the content of the lyrics is what got me. They are as follows: “T-t-t-take one if you need it but you really shouldn’t be out this late / really, really , really, really, … wanna make you feel home / take one if you need it but you really shouldn’t get this fucked up / really, really, really, really, … wanna get it to you.”
I get the sense he’s talking about drugs, but that’s just my interpretation. As we all know, musical interpretations vary by person.
In any case, the song is paired with a video that has amazing visual arts:
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Sadly, I am mostly unfamiliar with their latest album, Sun Leads Me On, but what from what I’ve heard, their growth is obvious. In “Trust,” listeners can hear a move from more acoustic indie to a more upbeat sound (though that doesn’t go for the whole album).
Overall, Half Moon Run’s sound is dominated by their rhythm and lyricism to create the perfect balance of happy and sad. It’s definitely something listeners can get lost in.
Here are a few of there other best tracks:
