Hyde Out’s music on Moonfactory, their latest full-length studio album is -as usual- genre-bending and sonically expansive. A return to the group’s mellower and more melodic tendencies exhibited on their earlier album, Moonfactory features all the grandiosity of Muse without the bombast, and all the wonder of Coldplay without the whimsy.
A band based in London and spearheaded by Omar Merlo and Jaka Levstek, Hyde Out first sprang on the scene with their first album 4 years ago, in November of 2020. The group’s sound can be safely categorized into the realm of rock, specifically space rock, thematically and sonically, on Moonfactory. The passion is tangible in the song of Moonfactory. With songs that are gentle, melodic, and approachable, yet with a clearly distinctive edge that can come to define the outfit, Hyde Out’s latest album is an invigorating listen, tightly produced and crisply written and played.
The record starts with a fantastic array of songs that rides a consistent wave of highs until well past the album’s halfway point. ‘Oblivious’ introduces a mellow sound that is not so mellow. Rather melodic, dramatic, and sweetly voiced with crunchy guitars and imaginative chords. The chunky mix is aptly powerful and saturated, making for an invigorating start to the album. The song is a fantastic introduction to the wondrous and spacey atmosphere the duo will be working towards on most of the album’s songs. ‘Dedicated to the ones who want me dead’ is more melancholic but just as expansive and eye-opening of an experience. The punchy groove is satisfying and the introspective lyrics are an amazing introduction to Hyde Out’s eclectic sonic and lyrical approach. The terrific chorus is an earworm of riffs that easily stick after the song’s runtime.
‘Only Words’ is based on a warm acoustic guitar delivery that exemplifies the mellowness of Moonfactory at its best. A beautifully written song, heartfelt and exciting, a bustling piece of peppy space rock that’s simply delightful. ‘Games We Play’ follows with an oppressively melancholic, yet bittersweet and heartfelt, chord sequence. With a slow and steady tempo, drawn out and personable vocal melody, and a modulated guitar tone, ‘Games We Play’ is the album’s most emotive and introspective song up until this point on the record, and with a short but sweet guitar solo, it is also the album’s first proper ballad. ‘On your way’ has a shuffle beat that’s empowering, alongside an array of scruffy rhythm guitar lines coalescing into a gently cacophonous drive that leans on rock and roll and with a particular flair reminiscent of 60s pop music, reimagined into uber-modern, indie space pop.
‘Firefly’ plays on the 60s pop aspect some more with chords that are syrupy, melodic, and lively. With a mix that’s populated by honky tonk piano alongside jangly and upbeat overdriven guitars, ‘Firefly’ manages to be one of the album’s most sonically restrained and tight cuts up until this point, as well as one of its most intricately written, with vocal-only refrains and a composition that revolves neatly around the song’s words. A gorgeously written song. ‘Another life’ has another dynamic pacing job with warm, heartfelt melodies and a nuanced composition. Fitting for a space rock opera, ‘Another Life’ is one of the album’s latter half milestones.
The sweetly intricate and tightly played-out arrangement on ‘Bring On’ captures the duo’s instrumental capacities. The fingerpicked acoustic guitar line, buoyant and bouncy bass, syrupy piano droplets, and warm string arrangement, ‘Bring on’ is lyrically provocative and musically captivating. The album’s latter half is definitely softer, with mellower soundscapes and more whimsical compositions. ‘Cityscape 49’ is built on a chord sequence with quirky dissonance built right in, and with vocally rich layering. ‘Kryptonite’ is one of the album’s most musically exciting offerings. From the punchy groove to the simplistic, easily digestible chord sequences, it is another subdued highlight.
Hyde Out’s Moonfactory is an aurally delightful sonic adventure, crafted with care and love and a fantastic attention to detail. Most of the album’s healthy runtime of 13 songs is unique, offering something that stands out whether harmonically, lyrically, with texture, production, or sonic direction, ultimately painting Hyde Out as a gifted duo with bountiful creativity. Moonfactory is a fun listen full of novel ideas, executed with style, musicianship, and flowing artistry.
