Prog-soaked pop from American prodigy
Who?
Growing up in New Mexico, 20-year-old percussionist and producer David Hale began his musical career by uploading drum covers of Brand X and Genesis songs to YouTube. After recording his 2019 debut album ‘Hale Damage’ while still only a teenager, he has since shown a knack for acutely altering his sound from release to release, yet always remaining true to his core influences of juggernauts such as Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Thundercat and Tame Impala.
Why David Hale?
HIs first outing was influenced by a deep adoration for the rollicking drums and triumphant, trumpeting synths of ‘Duke’-era Genesis. But 2021’s follow-up, ‘Something Peculiar’, saw him park his Collins fanaticism to negotiate a rather more Floydian arena – think moody, disjointed funk grooves held together alongside pealing guitar solos and piercing, hair-raising electronics. All in all, they stay with you long after the music has come to an end.
Tell Us More…
Despite Hale’s evident fascination with the musical formulae pioneered by his prog predecessors, there’s so much about this artist that’s original and down to the bone. He has an impeccable ear for arrangement, as demonstrated by his latest album ‘Paradigm’, which he self-released last September. Tracks like the boldly compassionate ‘Stay By My Side’ and the euphorically bittersweet lead single ‘Wish I Knew’ arrive imbued with lush, well-defined synth textures that never stray so far as to become mawkish. Funkier moments like ‘Under Control’ don’t falter, so shrewd is Hale’s judgement when it comes to the production of addictive, squelchy, syncopated bass synth. As the years pass, Hale’s music becomes ever more personal, and it’s becoming clear that he doesn’t need to rely on any other artist to make music worth listening to.
‘Paradigm’ is out via Bandcamp
