Moon Halo's 'Trichotomy' - Album Review

Whilst it may no longer be quite the case, at one point it really seemed that much of the UK's best modern progressive rock could be traced back, at least in part, to the city of York. A sadly departed friend once joked that there must be something in the water up there - and it often seemed as if the next best progressive rock release was coming from someone with a connection to the city. I do not quite get the same feeling these days, but given my enduring love for Mostly Autumn I will always consider the city a musical wellspring - and, in truth, many of the other bands and projects which used to release those anticipated albums were often somewhat linked to Mostly Autumn. Sadly a lot of those bands and projects no longer seem to exist, and solo work from those involved has slowed, too, but one act which is still active is Moon Halo - an atmospheric and song-based progressive rock band formed around the core trio of vocalist Marc Atkinson, keyboard player Iain Jennings, and bassist David Clements. Both Atkinson and Jennings are long-time members of the York scene, the former as a member of Gabriel and Riversea and the latter as a member of Mostly Autumn and Breathing Space - with both also operating as solo artists. They have both been involved in a large number of albums over the years - many of which form a part of my vast music collection. I am generally more familiar with Jennings' work, given how much I love Mostly Autumn, but I have also followed Atkinson for a while - with his work with Riversea particularly standing out. The two more recently joined forces with Clements, who had worked with Atkinson a lot over the years, and formed Moon Halo - which debuted back in 2020 with the excellent Chroma (which I reviewed here). I listened to the smooth and somewhat symphonic album quite a lot during the following pandemic - and the pandemic also led to the creation of the follow-up Together Again (which I reviewed here) which came out in 2022. I enjoyed both of the albums quite a bit, and I am always going to support the York scene - so when another Moon Halo album was announced I knew that I would have to check out it. Dropping last month, then, Trichotomy is the band's third album - and it pretty similar sound-wise to the last two. Jennings' keyboard playing tends to dominate the soundscape, and the band seems to be his main outlet from a songwriting perspective these days, but Atkinson's heartfelt and emotional vocal delivery is just as key to the experience as ever. Fleshing out the trio as before, too, are guitarist Martin Ledger (Stolen Earth) and drummer Alex Cromarty (Mostly Autumn; Halo Blind) - very much keeping Trichotomy in line with the other two albums personnel-wise. Ledger's big guitar moments feel less prevalent this time, though, with this album perhaps being more atmospheric than ever - with more emphasis on soundscapes and vocal melodies and more explosive musicianship. This is not necessarily a bad thing but, as a result, Trichotomy feels more of a grower than what has come before.

Opening with Siren Song, Jennings' piano melodies slowly fill the speakers - and the lack of any synth backing actually takes me back to those early Mostly Autumn albums briefly. Once the melodies speed up, though, this feeling fades - and a piano hook becomes apparent as Ledger's guitar joins in. The song gets underway proper once Cromarty's drums kick in, though, and Ledger transitions to a tougher guitar tone - adding a slightly crunchy backing to Jennings' aforementioned piano melody. This melody forms the main musical hook of the song - with it sitting behind Atkinson's vocals during the verses whilst the guitars and bass add a subtle backing. Atkinson may not have the biggest vocal range, but his warmth as a singer always means that his performances are full of emotion - and there is a smoothness to his delivery which suits Jennings' songwriting, with subtle vocal harmonies during the chorus only enhancing this vibe further. Perhaps showcasing who drives this project, Jennings later takes a lengthy synth solo - which is interspersed with organ stabs, showcasing differing keyboard tones and styles early on. The subtle crunch from the guitars and Cromarty's relatively up-tempo drumming helps to give the song a bit of a kick, too, and Ledger also closes things out with a brief guitar solo. Empires Burning opens with some programmed noises and beats, over which Jennings soon adds a distant synth melody. Like the piano hook from the last track, this synth melody becomes quite a focus throughout - and it dominates the verses behind Atkinson's vocals, whilst Ledger adds some crunchy guitar rhythms to give them a slightly heavier edge. This crunch is less present during the chorus, despite some big guitar chords coming and going, which is more swirling and atmospheric overall - with a big synth soundscape and mournful piano melodies taking over. Moon Halo are never a heavy band, but their use of crunching guitar rhythms occasionally does help to add a bit of a punch when necessary - and this song certainly feels tougher overall compared to many of the others here thanks to Ledger's efforts. Later on, too, Jennings' uses some grittier keyboard textures - with organ and distorted synths adding to the heavier feel of the piece, whilst Ledger throws in a lengthy closing solo. Whilst most of the music here is written by Atkinson and Jennings, Punchline was written by Clements. He started contributing to the band as a writer on the last album, so it is good that he has also contributed here, and his effort is typical of the band's core sound - albeit with a bit more of a bass-driven feel. Atkinson's warm vocals seem to be more powerful than ever here, perhaps thanks to the arrangements and use of vocal harmonies, whilst the verses have more of a rumble thanks to Clements' bass playing. Arpeggiated guitar melodies and subtle synths fill in the gaps, but the crunch of the opening two numbers is gone - with bass grooves and occasional bluesy guitar leads taking over, whilst Jennings' adds a slow-burning synth solo later on which morphs into a snappy bluesy guitar solo.

The Things That I've Done really reins things in, and opens with a very laid back drum beat, acoustic guitars, and warm keyboards. Whilst many of Moon Halo's songs can feel like ballads thanks to Atkinson's vocal approach and the band's soundscapes - this song is the album's first true ballad, with Atkinson really pouring his heart out during the verses and Jennings' sombre keyboards creating a mournful atmosphere which is occasionally pierced by Ledger's guitar leads. Like many good ballads, though, the song does expand as it moves along - feeling bigger and bolder as it progresses. The drumming becomes punchier over time, with the acoustic guitar backing also growing, whilst Atkinson's voice becomes more powerful. Unison guitar and keyboard melodies also inject some melodic interest - whilst Ledger's aching guitar solo is more typical of his work on the previous Moon Halo releases when he cuts loose. Are You with Me feels more upbeat and poppy overall. Generally, Moon Halo's work is more laid back and atmospheric - but they have occasionally gone for a groovier and poppier approach, and Are You with Me is another strong example of such. Clements' bass playing is pushed to the fore here, his grooves having a slight disco edge, whilst Cromarty's drumming is similarly groovy - and Ledger's guitar melodies are busy and intricate. Atkinson takes a less emotional road on the vocal delivery front, too, instead singing in a slightly higher register to allow for the song's pop hooks to really shine. It is an easy song to latch onto thanks to these vocal melodies and strong grooves - with Ledger also adding some aching guitar leads as the song progresses. Don't Go Changing returns to something more typical of the band's core sound, with programmed loops opening things up - before Cromarty adds some subtle cymbal work and Jennings' synths join in. The early part of the song, then, is very laid back, with these synths and subtle percussion backing Atkinson's vocals, but once Cromarty starts to drum properly there is more of a punch to the track - with the bass adding plenty of depth despite the keyboards dominating. There is very little guitar weight here, with Ledger largely making himself felt during the chorus with some slow-burning leads, as it is the drum punch and the soundscapes which dominate. This contrast between atmosphere and a harder rock punch works well, though, although it does recede during the chorus to allow for piano chords and Ledger's guitar leads to shine. You, Me & Everybody is another track which goes for a poppier and groovier overall feel - but the song feels closer to the classic Moon Halo sound than Are You with Me. It is not as poppy as that previous cut, then, but there is still plenty of groove added by Clements' prominent bass playing - whilst the electronic piano melodies utilised throw the song back to the late 1970s somewhat. The slightly crunchier guitar rhythms heard earlier in the album return here, too, with parts of the track feeling a little heavier thanks to Ledger's playing - even though the bass playing and piano melodies dominate. There are grooves and hooks aplenty here, but the song is not as upbeat as Are You with Me so its melodies are more slow-burning and typical of the band's usual approach - and the closing guitar solo is another big Ledger moment.

Worlds Collided opens slowly, with Atkinson's mournful vocals against some droning synths, and it sounds as if the song is going to be a real slow-burning ballad - but it actually soon morphs into something of a mid-paced rocker with a bit more of a punch than is expected. Ledger's guitar melodies and occasional leads give the song its rockier edge, whilst the rhythm section has a real snap to its overall performance. Big piano chords and melodies add to Ledger's guitar playing, and the song overall feels quite intricate and melodic thanks to the interplay between the guitars and the keyboards. The song reminds me a little bit of Cats in Space in places - at least the more laid back and less bombastic end of that band's sound. There is a positive and relative up-tempo feel which is similar to that band's overall sound - with the ringing piano melodies feeling bright and Atkinson's vocals feeling strident. Ledger also adds a folky guitar solo to the song's closing moments, adding to the overall upbeat and somewhat different feel of the track. Nobody Is Perfect is perhaps the ballad that the previous song was teasing - and it is the most stripped back song on the album, at least at first. Based around Jennings' piano and Atkinson's voice, the song is simple in its arrangement - and it really brings the best out of the latter in particular. The way that Jennings plays here, which leaves lots of room between each batch of notes, really gives Atkinson's voice the spotlight - and the opening section of the song really shines thanks to this lack of production and additional instrumentation. Eventually, though, Ledger does join in, adding some guitar melodies, and this is then the cue for the rest of the band to join in - and the rest of the track is backed by a sombre groove and some layers of synths. The focus on the vocals and the piano does not really change, though, and they still dominate despite the fuller arrangement - whilst the occasional, Pink Floyd-esque guitar lead is welcome. The song is quite a lengthy one, but the guitar leads and the dominant piano playing create a strong atmosphere - and Atkinson continues to shine throughout. Truth ups the pace again, and the song is more of a rocker with some crunchy guitar rhythms and a poppy synth hook which surfaces throughout. Jennings' keyboard playing is generally less prominent here, despite the aforementioned hooks and a synth bed during the verses, with Ledger's guitars largely dominating. His crunchy riffing and rhythms give the song a bit of a punch, which the rhythm section help to expand on, whilst his solo part way through is lengthy and more typical of his contributions to the previous albums - despite it feeling a bit more hard rock and high octane than before. Not to be outshone, though, Jennings also adds a synth solo towards the end of the song. This builds on the synth hook mentioned before, as well as compensating somewhat for the reduced keyboard presence throughout the rest of the song.

The album's penultimate song, Back to You, returns to the core Moon Halo sound following the more up-tempo and rocking previous number - with Jennings' piano and synth work creating a bed for Atkinson's emotional voice, whilst the rhythm section add something of a groove. Despite parts of the song feeling very atmospheric, with the chorus perhaps being Moon Halo 101 in terms of approach, there is a little more bounce elsewhere - with the verses feeling more upbeat, albeit in a subtle manner. Programmed synths and a prominent bass presence help the verses to tick and feel a bit more bouncy - whilst the rumbling piano of the chorus, alongside some shimmering synths, are the perfect backing for Atkinson and his heartfelt lyrics. Jennings also adds a big synth solo in the middle of the track, with the cutting tone of the keyboard adding to the bounce heard elsewhere, whilst Ledger, whose playing is generally relegated to the background here, takes over as the song closes out for another guitar solo. The album then comes to a close with The Masterplan, a very typical Moon Halo track which covers a lot of the ground referenced throughout the album. There is a bit more weight here thanks to Ledger's guitar playing. His crunchy rhythms from earlier in the album return here, giving parts of the song a tougher feel, whilst Jennings also uses organ and some more oppressive keyboard tones to further this feeling in places. Grooves are also present, with snappy guitar lines locking in with Clements' bass playing during the verses - whilst Jennings' piano melodies operate slightly separately to provide additional interest. Atkinson sings well against this somewhat dense backing, with the use of subtle vocal harmonies adding to the song's overall big feeling - which is particularly prevalent during the chorus thanks to the shimmering synths and the layers of additional vocals to bulk out the sound. As the song progresses, too, it becomes a lot more dramatic - with a symphonic instrumental section crashing in with big drums and synth stabs, rocking up the piece unlike anything else on the album. This then morphs into a lengthy Jennings synth solo, which is somewhat Pink Floyd-esque too - although it is more harder rocking than that, which is exemplified when Ledger takes over, replacing the synths with his busy guitar soloing. This extended passage is the album's biggest and most bombastic instrumental workout - and it is fitting that it falls within the closing number to really give the album a kick as it comes to an end. Overall, then, Trichotomy is another strong album from Moon Halo. I did not find it immediate as some of the band's previous work, but over time many of the songs here have really grown on me and there is some subtle variety throughout which helps the album to shine. The core sound remains, but a few moments of experimentation and a harder rock approach help - even if the band's atmospheric approach very much dominates. There is a lot to like here for fans of the current progressive rock scene, and the melodies throughout are strong.

The album was released on 2nd May 2025 via Moonhalomusic. Below is the band's promotional video for album, featuring snippets of many of the album's songs.