Visit the Hinterland

Hinterland is a Vancouver based five-some who are set to release their third album, Pan Pan Medico, later on this month (the 19th to be precise). If you haven't heard of them before, that's OK - I hadn't either before checking out the album. If you're a big fan of the Moog, I'm guessing that you'll be a fan of Hinterland and might want to check them out. They bring together a synth-rock concoction of new wave and dream-pop mixed with a futuristic distorted jolt that will leave you wondering how it all came together. Behind it all are the vocals of Michaela Galloway whose voice sometimes flows like honey and at other times soars high.

What I find most interesting and ultimately most enjoyable about the album is the subtle shift from style to style. The starting point of the album, very synthesized and driven (try Detwiller Pavilion below), feels very different from the ending point in the twelfth track. The change starts around the fifth track, Future Ghost, which is a quiet, delicate, lush piece - quite a stark change from the first four tracks. After that things pick up a bit but never return to the electronic intensity of the first third of the album, instead shifting to a more new wave indie pop feel very reminiscent of the furor of Boston based bands in the 90's (Throwing Muses, Belly, more recently Static of the Gods, etc...).

The album comes out in a few weeks. In the meantime, enjoy the following:

Hinterland - Detwiller Pavilion : Pan Pan Medico

and one from their last album:

Hinterland - Sirens : The Picture Plane

Visit their website, their label Submerged Records, and become their friend on MySpace.