Australian duo, Maison Hall. return after a 5 year hiatus with their new album, ‘Rose Coloured Everything’. Comprising Ben Byron and Joe Kneipp, the pair re-united after a chance encounter in London in 2019, and started working on the album the following year.
If you’re going to record an album after a sizeable break, you’re going to want o put everything you’ve got into it. And that’s certainly what Maison Hall. have done, with the 15 track long ‘Rose Coloured Everything’. Breaking out right from the beginning with the distorted electronica of ‘lobotomy 1978’, they leave the listener with no doubt that they mean business. This segues seamlessly into ‘Montreux’, reminding us slightly of legendary Irish indie band, The Kills. Track 3, ‘Semantic Satiation’ has a title that rolls pleasantly off the tongue, and the song itself takes me back to the music of my teens, such as Aussie classic band, The Hoodoo Gurus.
With a 17 second direction change in, ‘g’dae’, they launch into the title songs, the energy of the previous tracks dialled back somewhat, yet still powerful, the guitar and synths led instrumentals providing a glorious sonic layer under the emotive vocals. It’s not all perfection – there’s a distortion in both instrument and vocals alike, but it’s nonetheless still fabulous to listen to.
The album is a meta-analytical take on the reformation of the band, as well as the difficulties to be found in balancing their art with day to day life. On top of it all, there is the absolute joy that is to be found in making music, which makes the struggle all worthwhile. ‘Rose Coloured Everything’ was mainly recorded in a church building, in Mucklesford, Victoria, as well as Melbourne’s The Aviary Studios, and also Joe’s bedroom. Mastering was done by the Grammy nominated Joe Carra, and the end result is a gorgeous work of art.
Maison Hall. were originally formed in Brisbane, in 2015, with their debut album, ‘It Was Never About Me’, released independently in 2016. The band played a few live shows in their hometown, to great acclaim, but life got in the way, and they called it to a halt in 2017. Now based between Canberra and Hobart, Maison Hall.’s new album ‘Rose Coloured Everything’ is out now and can be streamed and downloaded here. You can find out more about Maison Hall., and we recommend you do, online on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music.
