Alkaline Times 
Artist: Halcyon Days 
Label: Kingfisher Records/ICC 
  
It sometimes seems like most of the best music released into the UK Christian marketplace is from Northern Ireland - in the eighties there was Split Level, a few years ago there was Iain Archer, and now Halcyon Days.  Halcyon Days's debut Sometimes raised a few eyebrows and built them a loyal following in Northern Ireland and at the Greenbelt festival, where they appear regularly.  Now that following has propelled the band into the upper reaches of the Northern Irish charts with this new release. 
  
Lyrically, Halcyon Days sometimes reminds me of Dime Store Prophets, not so much in terms of themes but in terms of perspective and style.  That perspective is shown through sideways glances at life, with a deep spiritual undercurrent to the songs - instead of simple sloganeering, there's informed exploration:  

    It's a sign of the time, 
    keeps the light from the rest of my life, 
    I know the halflight's only real life, 
    but where is love? where is love? 

    It's a sign of the times, the alkaline times, 
    Looking for love in the miracle rhymes. -- from "Halflight"

  
The band is a fourpiece; Rick Johnston (vocals), Gareth Black (guitars), and Jonathan Gibson (bass) all contribute lyrics, while Stephen Orr (drums) handles the management side of things. On this release the band is joined on keyboards by Dave Lynch, an engineer at ICC studios who also produced the album. Dave is known for his experimental approach,  and he has helped the band here to create a more varied and modern sound, with more electronic enhancements and unusual rhythms than on Sometimes. 

This approach rears its head clearly on a number of tracks, most noticeably "Taberna Ergo Sum," which is, as Steve Stockman (Northern Ireland-based music critic) says, "one mighty trip hop industrial noise" - over clanging drums and heavily distorted guitars, various electronic effects are pulled in to produce a wide soundscape on which Rick Johnston's clean vocals ride clearly.  Lyrically, this track is another look at society and what's really important to people: 

    Taberna ergo sum, you're crashing down on me,  
    Taberna ergo sum, and so I must consume  
    Though made to fly,  
    On the ground we try to reach for a lower state of being,  
    Why assume that we must consume  
    and feed the poor to the gods on the high street,  
    'Hello' is our bible, the lottery revival, lady luck our salvation 
  Other tracks do stick more closely to a more standard rock sound, but they manage to avoid the generic trap.  "No Need To Run" is more acoustic than some of the others, but the distorted electric guitar increases in prominence as the track continues.  It is perhaps closest to older Halcyon Days material, retaining a slight stadium rock feel. 
  
A particularly moving track is "Speaks My Name," which keeps the vocals low in the mix and adds some keyboards to the arpeggioed guitar.  This approach suits the lyrics well and draws more attention to the vocals (as the mind has to focus a little more to distinguish them).  
    "dying to live!" I cry, 
    as my ego burns in holy fire 
    and in another's strife, 
      
    I hide my life, 
    as the glory speaks my name
I had been expecting this album to be good, but it surprised me with its experimental edge and overall cohesiveness. The lyrical insight and the music mesh well. While there are some rough spots, they are few and far between.  If you're a Dime Store Prophets fan saddened by the loss of that band or you're a seeker of truly modern rock, you need look no further than Halycon Days. -----James Stewart 
  
   
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