“sweetly brooding electronic pop” – Spin
Halloween, Alaska’s churning, meditative sound neither embodies youth, naivety, anger nor desperation. It’s a unique statement from a veteran band with a persistent cult following and a distinctive indie M.O. Moreover, listeners can hear and feel its influence far beyond its native Minneapolis.
In the early ’00s, Halloween, Alaska took root as a semi-electronic diversion from its members’ primary rock/jazz projects. Here, these included The Bad Plus, 12 Rods, Love-cars, Happy Apple, and more. A self-titled debut album made sufficient waves to inspire more recording, more shows, more expenditures, more experimentation. Then, the group has continued to expand its palette outward from a dedicated core of arty, ambient rock.
2018’s Le Centre reveals an audacious set from a group that embraced electronic elements with live instruments well before such practices became standard. Le Centre reveals Halloween, Alaska as a warmly human outfit. Here, lyrics and themes neither strive for earnestness nor dismiss it.
The band’s songs exude a range of commanding moods and textures. Here, frenetic indie-prog with unlikely pinches of R&B or blue-eyed soul, complemented by a Prince-inflected guitar solo. There, a modernist mash-up of Spoon and a Steely Dan B-side. They traverse post-D’Angelo funk through the lens of hazy ’90s slow-core. Then, their slow-burning dance floor balladry harkens to the band’s ambient ’00s origins.
Initially, Halloween, Alaska started as a true side project, an outlet for indulging electronic tones and an almost meditative restraint. Over the last two decades, the group has adapted and endured with a collaborative, experimental spirit. Here, they confidently color outside the lines without betraying the ultimate beauty of the bigger picture.
James Diers • voice, guitars, keys
Jacob Hanson • guitars, voice
David King • drums, keys
William Shaw IV • bass guitar, keys
