The Hayley Griffiths Band's 'Melanie' - Album Review

It is often a sad time when established band line-ups come to an end. The Welsh progressive rock act Karnataka are certainly no stranger to line-up changes, having effectively had to rebuild itself from the ground up three times, but sometimes good things can come from such upheaval. With Karnataka's fourth era underway, following a successful tour throughout 2022, 2023 seems to be the year when some key faces from the band's third era strike out on their own. Despite having been a fan of Karnataka since around the time that 2010's The Gathering Light was released, I first saw the band live in 2012 - on the first tour of what I am calling the band's third era. As such, this third era, fronted by Hayley Griffiths, always felt like 'my' Karnataka. I love everything that the band has ever done, but having first seen them with Griffiths I naturally gravitated towards her era, at least for a while, and it makes her sole album with Karnataka, 2015's Secrets of Angels (which I reviewed here), a special one for me. I saw Karnataka five times during the Griffiths era, which was launched proper in 2012 when I first saw them and came to an end in 2017, and each show is memorable for different reasons. I was, of course, sad when the Griffiths era came to an end, especially as it seemed like there was some bad blood involved in the split, but I am a fan of enough bands with fluctuating line-ups to recognise that often good things can come from such splits. I saw the new iteration of Karnataka live last year, and the band's legacy is in safe hands, and Griffiths recently released her first solo album of original material since 2010's Silver Screen - the first with her self-titled band. I saw The Hayley Griffiths Band's second ever show in Bilston in 2018 when they shared the stage with Mostly Autumn, and I have been looking forward to something new from them ever since. It has taken Griffiths and her band a little while to get something together, but the release of Melanie, their first studio album together, has been worth the wait. Consisting of seven new songs and three singles which had previously been released over the past few years, Melanie is a great statement of intent and is very different from the poppy and atmospheric Silver Screens. There are definitely similarities here to Secrets of Angels, but Melanie is more of a driving hard rock record in my opinion - with more emphasis on theatricality and less focus on more involved progressive arrangements. The band is made up of two Karnataka alumni in keyboardist Çağrı Tozluoğlu and drummer Jimmy Pallagrosi, alongside guitarist Mathieu Spaeter and bassist Jordan Brown - although Brown seems to have since departed the band to be replaced by George Price. With a new album of Celtic songs, Far From Here, a sequel to 2011's Celtic Rose, released on the same day as Melanie, too, it seems that Griffiths wants to continue down a diverse musical path - but Melanie is very much a rock album, which is pretty riffy and dramatic in places.

Whilst I think that Melanie is a strong album from start to finish, it very much puts its best foot forward. The first two songs are probably the strongest cuts here in my opinion, and it shows what Griffiths and her band are truly capable of. Broken Lullaby kicks things off with dramatic gothic overtones - not too dissimilar from the heavier end of Secrets of Angels, with songs like Forbidden Dreams springing to mind. Tozluoğlu, who co-wrote the track, dominates early on with his symphonic keyboard melodies, whilst the driving riffing of Spaeter and the double kick drumming of Pallagrosi helps to add a metal edge to the piece. I am glad that Griffiths has doubled down on the heaviness of the 'band' side of her musical personality here - and her dramatic, crystal clear voice sounds great against the backdrop of crunching chords and dancing strings. Fans of Secrets of Angels will certainly feel at home here, but also those who love the riffy and more guitar-heavy end of symphonic metal will also find a lot to love in Broken Lullaby. It helps that the track is held together by one of the album's most soaring choruses. It is one that has been in my brain since the off, with twinkling keyboard melodies adding a counter to the tougher riffing - whilst Griffiths soars vocally. Throw in a great back-and-forth instrumental section, featuring a melodic guitar solo from Spaeter before Tozluoğlu launches into a shredded keyboard solo, and Broken Lullaby is very much a song that roars out of the gate. Last Goodbye is similarly dramatic, although the heaviness is toned down somewhat to allow for a bit more of a light and shade approach. The opening is filled with riffing and swirling strings, but when Griffiths starts to sing the band pretty much drop away - leaving her alone with Tozluoğlu's keyboards. The verses are quite low key, then, but the song does build towards its chorus - which sees the rest of the band kick back in for a harder hitting take on something that would not sound out of place in a West End musical. Spaeter's guitars crunch their way through the hooky chorus, whilst Brown is featured in later, more expansive, verses thanks to some off-beat, lyrical playing that jostles for position against the drums in a fun way. An emotionally-charged Spaeter solo helps to take the song to the next level - and the album opens with a dramatic one-two punch as a result. The album's lead single and title track follows, and it returns to the tougher sound of Broken Lullaby - but the symphonic side of the band is toned down to focus more on big guitar riffing and grooves. Tozluoğlu's keyboards constantly add depth, though, but this is very much a guitar-driven piece - which is unsurprising since it was co-written by Spaeter and Brown. The riffing is pretty metallic throughout, whilst Brown's fluid bass playing contributes to the hooky, groove-based nature of the piece. Pallagrosi also shines, with some busy drumming that recalls many of the great prog drummers - but there are still plenty of hooks for Griffiths to enjoy, such as another big chorus that also sticks in the brain from the off. She takes a tougher vocal path here and does not soar as much, but this suits the song's groovy nature - and it shows a different side of her as a result.

Perfect Lie has more of a ballad-esque feel at times, with the symphonic trappings of the first couple of songs returning and plenty of focus on Tozluoğlu's piano melodies. A cinematic, guitar-filled intro sets the tone, but it is not too long before the band drops out and Griffiths is left alone with Tozluoğlu's piano. Her gentle voice shimmers against the simple backdrop, and it might be the song here that best showcases her pure singing ability. She is quite exposed during parts of the song, and she steals all of the attention - even if the band do kick back in for the heavier chorus. This chorus soars, too, and the song does get somewhat heavier as it moves along - with co-writer Spaeter later launching into a furious solo that features lots of knotty, shredded leads. As such, the song has a very dynamic arrangement that moves between simple ballad-esque melodies and all-out prog metal - and it is all the better for it. Made My Bed reins the heaviness in again, and opens with some rhythmic, around-the-kit drumming from Pallagrosi - which the rest of the band soon start to layer their parts atop. Tozluoğlu's piano adds the main melodic hook, whilst Brown's bass contributes additional grooves which allow Griffith's vocals to float effortlessly atop the surprisingly busy cacophony below. Spaeter's guitar playing generally takes a backseat here, adding colour here and there - but this is very much a piece that focuses on the depth of the excellent production (courtesy of Pallagrosi throughout) and the shimmering vocals of Griffiths. Given that there has been a lot of riffing throughout the album up to this point, this more laid back and open song provides a welcome change of pace. Little Star then really doubles down on the theatricality that has been present throughout a few of the songs here. From memory, Griffiths did some musical theatre before making the transition into the rock world - and Little Star is very much full of that sort of vibe, albeit suitably rocked up to fit in with the rest of the songs here. It opens with a stripped back version of the chorus, which features Griffiths alone with a synth-driven background - before the song then morphs into a mid-paced rocker that is driven by Brown's bass and more of a melodic guitar approach that leaves big riffing behind for a more lead-based style. The chorus is probably my favourite part of the song, as it is backed by some organic organ stabs and has a great vocal hook - but Spaeter also makes his presence felt with a restrained, yet melodically-pleasing guitar solo. The final 'new' song here is Dust to Gold, which features the vocal talents of prog drummer-turned-singer Nick D'Virgilio (Spock's Beard; Big Big Train). The dramatic, hard-driving piece is a great way to close out the Melanie suite (for want of a better term), and it pulls together many of the ideas used throughout the songs that came previously. The organ stabs from the previous song return, and are used more extensively here, which helps the song to have something of a strong classic rock strut throughout, whilst other sections see the return of Tozluoğlu's orchestrations for added drama. The song is probably the most overtly-progressive piece here, too, as it moves through a number of sections. D'Virgilio's talents are saved for the song's final third, which sees the song move through murkier waters - dropping much of the classic rock vibes and going for a more atmospheric approach. Griffiths and D'Virgilio trade vocal lines throughout this section before the two join forces for a final reprise of the song's bright, uplifting chorus.

The album's final three songs are listed as bonus tracks, but to me they feel like part of the album - and Melanie would be very short without them. All three of the songs have been 'out there' for a while, but it is great to have them find a home here. Two of the songs are band remakes of songs from Silver Screen, whilst one was Griffith's first release upon leaving Karnataka. Separated by Glass is the first of the two remakes, and the full band version of the song has so much more punch than the original. In truth, Silver Screen is probably too much of a pop album for me - but the songwriting was strong throughout. Upon hearing how good Separated by Glass sounds with a full band backing, I would not be opposed to a full remake of Silver Screen - it is a song reborn. The heaviness of Spaeter's guitar playing throughout gives the song real weight, and the chorus, backed by Tozluoğlu's strings, soars like it never did before. This new version turns what was an atmospheric pop track into something that fits in with the rest of this new band's sound. It is rounded off by another excellent guitar solo from Spaeter, which adds a lot more melody to a song that is already full of hooks and drama. Aurora follows, which was Griffith's first single released after leaving Karnataka. I remember it being quite new when I saw her and the band with Mostly Autumn, but it was recorded before the band came together - meaning that only Pallagrosi is featured here. Another former Kanataka member in guitarist Enrico Pinna adds his talents here, whilst the keyboards from Jean Prat tend to drive everything. It was not written by Griffiths, but the overall sound fits in nicely with the rest of the album - although it is perhaps missing the great chemistry and knotty playing that has characterised the rest of the album. That being said, though, the chorus is still great - and the moments which feature Griffith alone with Prat's piano melodies showcase her voice in a pure manner. Pinna's brief guitar solo shines, too, and it is always great to hear the Italian guitarist let rip - as there are few better when it comes to emotional and lyrical playing. The album then closes with Haunted, another Silver Screen remake, which again improves upon the original version of the song in my opinion. The song was recorded early on the life of the band, so it features guitarist Jim Clark in place of Spaeter - who I remember from the Bilston gig. Like much of the rest of the album, the song is pretty riffy. Clark's guitars tend to drive everything, but Tozluoğlu's orchestrations add some gothic melodrama - with the chorus again packed full of hooks. Clark's guitar solo showcases his talents nicely, with a tone more cutting than is generally present throughout the album, whilst you can hear throughout this rearrangement of the song how the band are finding their feet as a heavier outfit. Despite enjoying these three singles, and it is great that they are included here, I think that the band has improved over time - and it is the new material that shines the brightest in my opinion. I had been looking forward to hearing what Griffiths and the band had been working on for quite a while, and I am happy to say that Melanie does not disappoint. I am a big fan of this album, and it is one that I am going to be listening to a lot over the coming months - plus I am also looking forward to catching her on tour later in the year.

The album was released on 20th January 2023 via Posh & Rock. Below is the band's promotional video for Melanie.