‘Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate’ is an English progressive rock band led by the duo ‘Malcom Galloway’/’Mark Gatland’ which was created in 2011 and which released its 5th album ‘Nostalgia For Infinity’. We had already had a sample of this opus with the EP 'Ark' released in 2019 with two titles but it is clear that this new baby is very rich for a duration of almost 70 minutes. ‘Nostalgia For Infinity’ is a concept album including 5 titles dedicated to ‘Redemption Ark’, a science fiction novel of the same name by Alastair Reynolds, which denounces the fragility of our civilization.
'Century Rain' begins the album in a good way with a long development of more than 9 minutes which takes up the title and the theme of the novel of 'Alastair Reynolds' on an imagined alternative from the 2nd world war; musically, I had the impress to listen to 'Jethro Tull' music which one would have embellished with magnificent progressive passages, the flute of 'Kathryn Thomas' being no stranger to this feeling and 'Twin Earth' continues on this path with a new title which gives pride of place to remarkable instrumental sections. Follows 'Ark' which we already knew with the EP and which is one of the centerpieces of the album and which in an atmospheric style between 'Vangelis' and 'Pink-Floyd' connects magnificent melancholic instrumental sections, then 'Nanobotoma' is more classic with a conventional structure in a more rock style while remaining quite soft with beautiful 'Floydian' guitar solos and 'Chasing Neon' is the 2nd title that we already knew, more lively in an atmosphere highlighting electronic sounds bringing us back to the 80s and 90s. With the sequel of the 'Redemption Ark', 'Glitterband' opens the ball with a fairly repetitive musical theme, this feeling being accentuated by the singing marked with' Malcom Galloway, then, 'Conjoiners' returns to a calm, restful and very 'Floydian' atmospheric instrumental and, after the remarkable short 'Scorpio', much more energetic with contemporary tones, 'Inhibitors' is a bit the 'On the Run' from 'Dark Side of the Moon' of the English of 'Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate' with electronic sounds of experimental music. We return to more conventional with the eponymous title of the album in which the bass leads the dance in the first part and which softens thanks to the flute in the 2nd half and whose melody remains anchored in the head. The end of the album gives us a new instrumental 'Voyager', still very 'Floydian', a sort of homage to the probe of the same name released from the heliosphere in 2012 and which now derives in the universe, then, 'Sixth Extinction' much more energetic and rhythmical on climate change.
In summary, the English of 'Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate' have released an endearing, varied and rich album and, taking into account the allusions I have made to the 'Floyds' throughout this chronicle , 'Nostalgia for Infinity' should undoubtedly please all those who love an inventive and sought-after progressive while remaining very accessible in terms of melodic lines... | |
