Halloweens, Morning Kiss At The Acropolis
AWAL Recordings
Time is in chaos at the moment – yesterday feels like weeks ago, the start of the year feels like it was this morning, everything is in chaos. But pushing through the tumult come Halloweens, with Morning Kiss At The Acropolis: a debut album that’s charmingly timeless enough to distract from the crisis swirling around us, and transport us into a soft-spoken fairytale world.
Halloweens, the baby of The Vaccines’ Justin Hayward-Young and Timothy Lanham, are characterised by an aura of vintage charm, Parisian aesthetics, a gentle wholesomeness and a shy humbleness that runs through every track – worlds away from the tongue-in-cheek swagger of The Vaccines, but a lovely side to see coming through. Morning Kiss At The Acropolis is a delightful listen, exhibiting Hayward-Young’s knack for sensitive songwriting perfectly showcased over music that’s the enchanting antithesis to in-your-face. Subtle guitar solos nestle amongst floaty, synthy chords, dip between acoustic tracks that are heartbreakingly sad – but quietly so.
MKATA relishes its melancholy moments, from the softly mournful Ur Kinda Man, to penultimate track The Tower. The whole record has a little blue tinge; Corridors of Love’s slow pace and tender delivery, Broken English’s vocalisations and held-back, twinkling melody lines – the album feels deeply personal, Hayward-Young’s vocals a timidly confident display of vulnerability. That’s certainly not to say that MKATA is without its bangers though – their first ever single Hannah, You’re Amazing, the cheerfully perky Lady, the groovy and cool Paris Undercover, My Baby Looks Good With Another, opener Rock Bottom Rock: they’ll all sate your cravings for the bop-along tunes we’re used to from The Vaccines. But of course, from Halloweens, it’s like listening to them through a gauze veil – their appeal lies both in their happiness and their hazy, subtle sensitivity.
Hayward-Young says in Paris Undercover: “I want the truth designer, and full of good one-liners.” And good one-liners are abundant in MKATA’s lyrics – Halloweens create a world in which every day is wandering around a beautiful city where no one knows who you are, catching the eye of someone beautiful and falling in love, watching the sun rise over pieces of history. It’s an album you want to live in forever, and in the uncertainty that makes up our lives at the moment, it’s an album that’s come at the perfect time.
Morning Kiss At The Acropolis is out now.
