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Magnetic North Album Receives Excellent Reviews
The praise for Aqualung's "Magnetic North" album continues. Here are what some of the critics are saying:
“….brooding Brit Matt Hales (a.k.a. Aqualung) sounds newly energized on tracks like Fingertip.” 3 out of 4 Stars - People
“…the album is still predominantly gentle, a little strange, and quite beautiful.….it’s one of the most perfect examples of hopeful longing I’ve heard in music this year.” “….a joyous ode to the pursuit of love.” - Popmatters
“Matt Hales proves to be not just a prolific singer-songwriter from England that makes beautiful meaningful music, but one who knows how to keep the listeners singing along. Hales still nails it with his lusty vocals and the orchestra-esque arrangement.” - Filter
“The album is joyful, thought-provoking and something you’ll want to listen to again and again. Magnetic North is like a brilliant 12-part love song to life.”
- Stereosubversion
“…chronicling the trials of relationships with a sense of optimism pervading even the darkest of narratives.” - Washington Post Express
“It sounds a bit like Beck-as-a-piano-man in places, Chris Martin-as-Beck in others and Mark Everett-as-Chris Martin in others…” - Buzzbands LA
“His latest album, Magnetic North evinces that new sound; jaunty, upbeat, uplifting and plenty of 'doo doo doos'. - Los Angeles Times
"Expect him to be around for a good long time — a thoughtful, careful composer, musician who is serious about creating music, not just cranking out the albums for the money." “…this new CD Magnetic North which seems to provide a carefully balanced plate of musical food to mentally chew on. The music is layered and the tune that is probably so evocative to the general public will be the Remember Us with Sara Bareilles that was featured on Grey's Anatomy.” - Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“Hales spreads that joy to other tracks on his keyboard-based alternative pop release, as on the event-song opener New Friend that escalates into a romp and on the plucky Fingertip, where guest vocalist Kelly Sweet supports his quaint whimsy as he sings, 'I'm gonna huff you and puff you and shake your tree/Gonna make you fall in love with me.”
- Knoxville News
“…the classically trained British pop rocker Matt Hales offers bittersweet but snappy, piano-centric sounds.” - Philadelphia Inquirer
“…this is a show you will not want to miss. An effortlessly intimate set of subtly crafted, organically melodic tunes with openhearted lyrics and spare, mostly acoustic arrangements, Words and Music features some of Hales’ most compelling work to date.” - Boston Globe
“There’s a shiny new aura surrounding Magnetic North….” “…ethereal tunes…”
- San Francisco Examiner
“He opens with the very Beck-esque New Friend, an approachable and unpretentious glance at his trademark piano rock. The haunting Sundowning shows off Hales' songwriting chops. It's a painfully beautiful piano ballad marked with striking, smooth-as-velvet vocals.” - College Times
“Get an earful of gentle, melodic pop with Aqualung. It’s totally radio-friendly, but that doesn’t mean it should be dismissed, either. The California-by-way-of-London singer Matt Hales sings about the difficulties of grown up relationships while secretly holding on to a naive immaturity.” - Philadelphia City Paper
“…introspective and intimate space on Sundowning, which is embarrassingly bare in its emotions. The title track also invades that private space with just Hales' whispers and simple piano.” - Under The Radar
Check out Magnetic North at the iTunes store.
