Solar Halos - Solar Halos ...

Solar Halos evokes dusty, sprawling landscapes of desert and rust.  The band has penned six sun-sick pastoral odes to the rustic and the earthen on their debut record (self-titled, released back in January).  Solar Halos is a collection of groove-infested Horseback-esque riffs, a fitting comparison as the group is comprised of former members of Jenks Miller's project.  Those familiar with Horseback's more recent material (namely The Invisible Mountain and 2011's Half-Blood) will probably be able to detect some similar characteristics at play between the two: Native American-esque melodies, tribal drums, groovy fuzzed-out bass lines, bluesy guitars, etc.  However, despite the similarities the two groups hold, Solar Halos stands confidently on its own. 

Nora Roberts' vocals float above the trance-inducing grooves mournfully, intense yet not aggressive.  The rhythm section is on full-display in every song, locking into ritualistic grooves that carry the songs, giving them vitality.  The guitars add nice bluesy textures to some of the quieter moments and really dig in with just the right amount of dirt when the songs call for some heft.  However, while all these ingredients mix together for a tasty blend of cerebral desert doom, the formula may get a little old for some listeners.  The songs tend to blend into one another, sometimes causing stagnation in dynamics.  But, the relatively moderate song lengths (except on "Resonance" at over eight minutes long) ensure that the tracks don't overstay their welcome. 

All in all, Solar Halos is an excellent debut record with an earthy atmosphere and a huge focus on trance-inducing grooves and melodies.  I'm very excited to see where they take their unique brand of desert doom next.

For fans of: Horseback, Jenks Miller, Bloodiest, Across Tundras

Words: Ian Fetters



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