the 31 best of 2007 – 9: Aqualung – Memory Man

I should start by saying that I had never heard of Aqualung before this year, and it was only when I was invited to a concert by some friends of mine, that I had even heard a mention of the group. I agreed to go because Sara Bareilles was opening for them, and I always jump at the chance to see Sara live. Little did I know, that I would totally fall in love with Aqualung at the show; the performance knocked my socks off, and I knew that I wanted to hear more from this great artist. After the show, I went out and picked up their most recent release, Memory Man,only to have it also knock my socks off too, as well as to cement itself amongst my top records of the year.

The similarities to Radiohead are inescapable; Matt Hale’s voice (who is the one man behind Aqualung) definitely has a similar quality to that of Thom Yorke, but I really think Aqualung really have something that just makes you stop thinking “Radiohead-this-n-that”. Matt has this bittersweet way of crafting heartfelt and moving songs about love and emotion, and backs them with powerful electronic sounds and pulsating guitars. The electronic beats that he chooses make the music alive and vibrant, and at several points during Memory Man,you are confronted by a perfectly crafted dance/rock song that just makes you move in your seat.

Interestingly enough, as well as he crafts that electronic energy, he just as eloquently carves a beautiful and sweet love song that can bring you down and allows you to really feel the emotion behind the lyrics. In all, Aqualung has really crafted an amazing record with Memory Man, one that is a musical epic from beginning to end. I’ll openly admit that I was extremely surprised by how much I loved this album, and with each and every listen, I fall a little bit more in love with it; there really are only good things that I can say about it.

Memory Manis one of those amazing records that you can listen to once, and really enjoy it from beginning to end. However, the more you listen to it, the more you fall for the intricacies that are displayed in each song, and you realize how well crafted this album truly is. I for one, now consider myself a huge Aqualung fan, and will definitely be up for seeing them in concert in the future.

Favorites from Memory Man:
Cinderella
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/aqualung-cinderella.mp3]
Glimmer
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/aqualung-glimmer.mp3]
Broken Bones
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/aqualung-brokenbones.mp3]
Vapour Trail, Rolls So Deep, and Pressure Suit.

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