The Halem Albright Band’s “Blue Moon Confessions” is a charming eclectic album full of funky bass lines, sweet rhythms, and complex guitar melodies. “Blue Moon Confessions” feels like the advent of a new era for the band. Always adventurous, the band blends many diverse musical genres together into a thirteen-song record that keeps exceeding expectations. The Halem Albright Band have revealed in their “confessions,” a sense of nostalgia, peculiarity, and confidence.
Starting off the album is “Come Back,” a song about coming back down to Earth, which is ironic when so much of the album, rather than being described as grounded, comes across as the soundtrack to a dream. A particularly warm bass sound is set up as the anchoring force, until the guitars kick in with a flourish. The lyrics of “Come Back” appear to comfort and reassure: “What is the tune that I should sing to you to take your mind off of what you’re fearing / Come down to earth / You better come back to earth.” The perfect intro to an eclectic album, “Come Back” is all joy and reminiscence.
Refreshing and idyllic, “Lost In The Breeze” is the first stand-out on the record after the opening. A kind of “beach vacation” feeling permeates the song, especially through the nostalgic synth. Bright and smooth, the melody disguises the band’s genuine yearning heard through their lyrics: “That’s all that I can give / But I’ll be here for you / Cause I need your lovin’ too.” Like its title, the song captures listeners as softly as a breeze and works its way into their hearts. The lyrics change the initial impression of the song, as “Lost In The Breeze” is revealed as a deceptively melancholic but rhythmic ballad.
“Sum’a Baby,” comes in a few songs after “Lost In The Breeze” with a swagger characterized by the funky bass holding the song down. If heard through earphones, the song bounces from left to right, creating a kind of psychedelic soundscape. More classic synths, cymbals, and rapid guitars strums blend together into a dizzying combination, like riding the high swings at night in a colorful, fanciful carnival. The lyrics as well, reflect a sort of otherworldliness maybe only seen in the night: “Oh baby make me crazy / Ooh baby just say maybe / When I see you walking down the street for a second, I get caught up in my dreams / Only in the night can get me through to you.”
Right after “Sum’a Baby,” “Sendoff 14” arrives in a flurry, with a swell, and a not-so-subtle feeling of despondency. “Sendoff 14” is just that, a gut-wrenching release of emotions: “I can’t come out anymore / I can’t slow down anymore / I can’t just pick up and run / I can’t deny anymore / The times I’d wait at your door.” While the synth has been used liberally in this album, nowhere is there such a rush of emotion like in this song. The singer tries to hold on to something, someone, or is even lamenting that they must be sent off. It is a plea, a sigh, resignation, but not without looking back. The song continues to soar through the guitar solo in the bridge and even unto its conclusion where a second voice comes to harmonize with the singer’s struggles.
“Blue Moon Confessions” is both the journey and the destination. Ever-moving, ever-changing, ever-exciting, the songs from the album take on a life of their own. They ensnare listeners, sending them on a voyage, through intricate songs and varied musical references. The listener is captured by each song and exposed to the band’s brilliant sonic fusions. An overlooked epic, “Blue Moon Confessions” is a triumph of sound and emotion from The Halem Albright Band.
By Annamaria Lund