Moon Halo's 'Together Again' - Album Review

York is famous for many things, with The Shambles and its fabulous Minster being just two of its landmarks, but for those of us into modern UK-based progressive rock it is also home to a number of our favourite musicians. Mostly Autumn is perhaps the best-known of the York-based bands, but there have been a number of others over the years. The York scene, for want of a better word, may not be the largest, but it is extremely creative - and revolves around a core of musicians who seem to constantly want to collaborate with each other in different configurations. One of the latest additions to the York scene is Moon Halo, a trio who debuted back in 2020 with their excellent first album Chroma (which I reviewed here). Formed by two members of Riversea and one member of Mostly Autumn, Moon Halo's sound is smooth and emotional-sounding - but is still packed with enough diversity and virtuosity to allow them fit nicely into the wider York scene. Fronted by Marc Atkinson, Moon Halo is closest in spirit to his output than anything else. Chroma felt like the natural extension to Riversea's previous albums, and the presence of Riversea bassist David Clements helped to cement this. The contributions of keyboard player Iain Jennings certainly helped to give Chroma more of an identity beyond Atkinson, however. Whilst the album brought little to mind of Jennings' work with Mostly Autumn, it certainly channelled his solos albums - particularly his 2017 release The House and some of the instrumental moments found on 2005's Breathing Space. As such, Chroma very much felt like the perfect combination of the talents of its two main writers - Atkinson and Jennings - with Clements holding everything together. It was unclear at the time whether Chroma would be a one-off effort, but last month the trio released their second album Together Again. Together Again was recorded slowly over the COVID-19 pandemic - starting its life in April 2020, with the finishing touches being applied in February 2022. As was the case on Chroma, too, Together Again features a number of guest musicians. Only three additional people contributed to Together Again, however, compared to the larger number that fleshed out Chroma - but all three are well-known to the York scene and also performed on the first album. Essentially all of the album's guitar work was handled by Martin Ledger (Stolen Earth), with the drums being played throughout by Alex Cromarty (Mostly Autumn; Halo Blind). Anne-Marie Helder (Karnataka; Panic Room; Mostly Autumn; Luna Rossa) sings backing vocals throughout the album, too, and her contributions to a few of the songs here are quite significant. She harmonises well with Atkinson and adds additional depth to the band's layered, emotional sound - which is filled with many different synths, Atkinson's warm vocals, and the odd soaring guitar moment from Ledger.

The album starts with one of its strongest songs in my opinion, the smooth yet hooky Light in the World. Together Again is rarely an album that goes for a big, bombastic sound, but Light in the World has a subtle grandness to it that introduces the album's sound nicely. The drum grooves throughout are shuffling and understated, whilst Jennings' synth beds create a dense soundscape. Atkinson always excels vocally when he is singing emotionally-charged material, and Light in the World certainly ticks that box - with an aching chorus motif that sticks in the brain after only a couple of listens. Ledger's U2-esque guitar subtleties enhance the chorus too, as do Jennings' gentle piano melodies and Helder's shimmering vocal harmonies. This is not an album that goes for poppy choruses, but Light in the World certainly has a pop edge despite the song's slower pace and overall downbeat vibe. The melodies soar as a result, though, as they stand out from the murk - and a great synth solo from Jennings adds some bright melodies towards the end of the piece. The album's title track follows, and it immediately takes on a bit of a different vibe thanks to a buzzing guitar line and a pulsing beat that backs Atkinson's early vocal lines. The song is certainly more upbeat than the opening cut, but there is still something smooth and low key about it. The drum grooves and programming have more energy to them, but this is restrained somewhat - which gives the song an interesting mix of synth-pop and smooth modern prog. Chroma had moments like this, as do Jennings' solo albums, but they work well in the context of the album. Ledger adds a great guitar solo towards the end of the piece too, which has a very David Gilmour-esque tone - with the solo section reminding me a little of Pink Floyd's Run Like Hell thanks to the backing grooves. Embrace This Life takes on a much more traditional modern prog feel, with Jennings' keyboards washing over everything whilst Ledger contributes a number of aching early guitar leads. The song is very typical of Atkinson's previous work, and it could have easily sat on one of Riversea's albums without sounding out of place. It is a relatively simple piece, but it allows Atkinson's voice to really shine whilst also giving plenty of space for Ledger to showcase his tasteful playing - particularly during the closing crescendo. If This is all There Is takes on a bit more of a rocking vibe, with a strong Clements bass presence early on - which is soon added to by Cromarty's snappy drum performance. Despite the punchier vibe throughout, the song is not exactly heavy. It certainly rocks more than anything else on the album so far, but the energy is still somewhat restrained. The bass and drums create a strong groove throughout, though, whilst Ledger's guitar lets big chords ring out to add depth. Atkinson's vocal melodies have a bit more bounce to them, too, and some hooks reminiscent of the opening track are utilised. The song reminds me somewhat of a more modern-sounding take on Dare's recent work. Atkinson's vocal approach is similar, and the atmosphere is not too far away - although Jennings' busy synth solo firmly grounds the piece in the realm of prog.

We've Still Got Time is similar, although the energy is tempered somewhat to allow the groove to subtly dominate. Atkinson and Jennings may well be the main forces behind Moon Halo, especially from a songwriting perspective, but Clements' bass playing is a big part of the band's sound. Most of the band's songs have a real groove to them, even the slower ones, and Clements is always at the centre of that. The partnership between him and Cromarty is a strong one, and the smooth We've Still Got Time benefits from their Doobie Brothers-esque shuffle - which forms the perfect bed for Jennings' soundscapes and a melodic Atkinson vocal. There are occasional bursts of guitar riffing and 'lead' keyboards, but generally this is a smooth, groove-based song with plenty of soul. Wasteland is interesting in the sense that is was largely written by Clements. He has not written for the band before, but Wasteland is a strong first effort - and it is one of my favourite cuts here. It certainly has a bit more of a rock/AOR vibe, with a strident guitar riff that acts as a main hook - whilst Jennings adds some old-school rock organ throughout. Helder's vocal contributions here are significant, and she dominates parts of the song with her strong performance - often singing in something of a call-and-response style with Atkinson. A lengthy guitar solo from Ledger pulls everything together, and the song feels like a bit of a throwback to 1980s melodic rock - which is never a bad thing. I would certainly like to hear more of Clements' songwriting on future Moon Halo albums, if there are to be any, as Wasteland is a very strong addition to Together Again. Reconnected immediately returns to something close to the album's core sound, and is a natural companion to Embrace This Life with its focus on warm vocal melodies and emotional guitar leads. It is a solo Atkinson composition, so is another track that could have easily sat on one of his older albums. It lacks some of the groove that generally permeates the album, but I like how it focuses on vocal melodies without too much else to distract the listener. There are stronger songs here - but as a simpler addition to the album it works nicely. About You & Me has something of a funky vibe throughout, but as is common this vibe is still very low key and smooth. It is a bit of a yacht rock song as a result - with Jennings' big piano melodies often cutting through the mix whilst Atkinson's vocal melodies have a Daryl Hall-esque quality to them at times. Helder's sultry backing vocals only add to the yacht rock vibes, and the smooth bass playing of Clements is worthy of a Steely Dan album thanks to its precision and feel. The song is an album highlight for me, and I would like to hear the band write more songs in this vein going forward. Stories to Tell pulls back on the funk of the previous song, and returns to something close to the album's core sound. Jennings' keyboards wash over everything, whilst Helder harmonises with Atkinson throughout essentially the whole song. This creates something of a haunting atmosphere, which is then backed up by the string patches that Jennings chose - as well as the chiming guitar arpeggios from Ledger. There is another strong Ledger guitar solo here too, which this time takes on more of a bluesy vibe - with a cutting tone and busy phrases.

Back to Normality ups the pace again a little, and the song is a good mix between atmospheric, more emotional, sections and poppier parts with more of a rhythm. The choruses are smooth, with Helder's harmony vocals and an emotionally-charged hook, whilst the verses are more upbeat. Cromarty's drum beats have a nice punch to them, and the keyboard work during the verses in particular has something of a pomp rock feel with its grander sounds. This pomp vibe is continued throughout a lengthy keyboard solo which soars in the context of the song; although it is perhaps the smooth chorus hook that sticks in the brain the longest - with Atkinson and Helder teaming up for a simple melody. It Was You generally strips the band's usual layered sound away and goes for something relatively sparse. A simple percussive loop forms the basis of the song, which Jennings then plays a whimsical piano melody atop of. The song does grow somewhat as it moves along, with some guitar melodies and more of a proper drum presence being added, but it never really strays that far from its simple beginnings. The melodies always hark back to Jennings' opening keyboard motifs, and Helder's sweet vocal contributions add to the overall floaty nature of the piece. Ledger's closing guitar solo is excellent, too, and it really captures the mood of the piece perfectly - with plenty of light melodies. The Sandman is Waiting takes on a bit of a darker tone, and the song itself is a bit more energetic - rocking a little more. It is certainly not a heavy track, but there is a bit more grit to it - with Jennings' pulsing string stabs and some screaming guitar leads from Ledger. It is a bit of a creepy track in places, but only in contrast to the rest of the album - and I like the atmosphere that the song creates. Some of the synth sounds and melodies throughout really enhance this vibe too, as do the sections that prominently feature Ledger's busy guitar playing - which is more effect-creating than melodic. It is a song that takes the album in a bit of a different direction, but it still has enough of the band's core hallmarks to feel at home. Life Goes On, the album's closing song, is another that takes things in a slightly different direction - but the core Moon Halo sound is still present. The song sounds more organic than is typical for the band, with a slight country-esque twang and the use of organ sounds rather than Jennings' usual synths. The song is still very smooth, however, and Atkinson's vocal melodies are very typical of the rest of the album. The song sounds like a bit of a throwback to the 1970s as a result of the more organic sound though, and there is very much an American feel here - which is something that is generally not present throughout the album. It is quite a jaunty piece, which works well considering that the song seeks to end the album on something of an upbeat vibe. It certainly feels like a song that is looking forward, as opposed to many of the reflective pieces heard earlier, and the album ends on a high as a result. Whilst I enjoyed Chroma two years ago, for me Together Again is a stronger album - and I really like how Atkinson and Jennings' songwriting has developed here. I hope that the band continue to work on new material going forward, as I would like to see this band and sound developed further - with some more songwriting contributions from Clements who also impressed here. This is an album that anyone into the York scene will appreciate, but anyone who likes smooth, atmospheric music with pop hooks will also find plenty to enjoy here.

The album was released on 14th March 2022 via Moonhalomusic. Below is the band's promotional video for album, featuring snippets of many of the album's songs.