There's no denying that the UK post-rock scene is in rude health these days. It's in good enough health that bands have had to raise their game considerably if they want to be noticed. The Cheery Wave From Stranded Youngsters series has done a lot to highlight the emerging names in a sprawling genre, collected under an umbrella term - and if you slept on the latest volume, it's over here - but it's usually not until a band gets around to recording their first album that they start to figure themselves out. There are so many routes you can go down with music like this, after all, and Surrey's Degree of Arc have returned to the fray after taking a while to piece together their debut offering.
Coming almost a full 18 months after the Circles EP, Halls In Hospitals finds the quartet settling on a cinematic style that results in a remarkably full-sounding record. Crackling radio samples and electronic rhythms form the foundations of the opening track, 'Great Distances', which gets things going at a steady pace, favouring the classic post-rock song structure over a busy, idea-filled piece - it draws to a close with a powerful flourish, making excellent use of its 7-minute running time before its closing ambience provides the perfect transition into the more meditative style of 'The Space Between'. With the album's opening pair of songs, Degree of Arc cover a lot of ground - and then, suddenly, they switch gears, increase the tempo and deliver something seriously impressive.
'Forward' is a dynamic track that's driven by rolling snare drum patterns and an inexorable momentum, ebbing and flowing wonderfully through its 6 minutes and displaying a more immediate side of the band's music; while it remains heavy on atmosphere and an undeniable sense of presence - both things that be keenly felt when everything kicks in around 4:45 - it could pass for a pop song on an album like this, and its immediacy makes it an early highlight. All 7 tracks are worthy of note, however, making use of sharp contrast - 'Forward' is set against the minor-key sombreness of 'Death of a Cosmonaut', a track that finds itself caught between fragility and brooding heaviness - and a knack for diversity. 'Wake' is a moment of reflection amidst overwhelming intensity, and the only chance the listener gets to catch their breath before things start up again.
The album ends on a high note with the majestic 'A Day After It Started', a track that suggests that there's much more to come from a band who have only begun tapping into their talents. It's reminiscent of more recent work from Codes in the Clouds (side note: there's a band I haven't heard from in a long while), and points to Degree of Arc enjoying a long and productive career. Halls In Hospitals may seem short on paper, but there's plenty of replay value in it, not to mention a whole lot of potential. This band haven't even been together 2 full years yet - expect more from them.
