What an obscure band name, Obsucura Hail. But in theory, all bands are obscure in some sense. Sean Conran, a vocalist, producer, acoustic guitar player and keyboarder has worked on his obscurely named solo project, dabbling between the genres of indie, pop and roots, in the same expected way that Australian musicians do so, so well.
Don’t let the name fool you, Obscura Hail excels in creating a tapestry of haunting yet beautiful soundscapes.
Representing Wollongong, but not quite country music, Obscura Hail follows the influences of Gregory and The Hawk, Kings Of Convenience, and The Ink Spots. In his Uneathered biography, Conran explains that this project was the result of many sleepless and insomniac nights, all necessary and worth it as his sound canvases not only love and sweat but a musician’s own brand of musical art. But like all artists who know how to accurately describe their projects in one sentence, Obscura Hail has already been described, ‘Obscura Hail is a collection of home recordings dedicated to exploring the complexities of the experience and the value of memory.’
Since 06’, Obscura Hail has seen three pieces of musical art produced and played. This compromises many home demos and experimental recordings, Mannequins are People Too in 2010, Like a Monstrous Lizard in 2011 and Boson in 2012. Thrown into the Sea names his latest EP. A peaceful track on this EP, Thrill in Hiding mixes the sound of slow rainfall and intimate guitar chords together so well that it sounds like it could be a piece written for a scene in a film where the protagonist finds out something, very important. This song then changes into a folk-like track that tells Conran’s own story.
This album explores new areas including gothic folk and melodic shoegaze. Who isn’t a fan of some shoegaze on a Sunday afternoon? This album is also appropriate for a Monday afternoon, and possibly every other day of the week if you feel like unwinding to some heartfelt folk-pop music.
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