Review Summary: Synesthete Paul Melia delivers a compelling, complex and brilliant debut
"A sensation produced in one modality when a stimulus is applied to another modality, as when the hearing of a certain sound induces the visualization of a certain color". The neurological condition that is being described above is known as synesthesia. People from Duke Ellington, György Ligeti, Tori Amos to Vincent Van Gogh and David Hockney had/have this condition. Ellingtion once described what his experience with synesthesia was like :
"I hear a note by one of the fellows in the band and it's one color. I hear the same note played by someone else and it's a different color. When I hear sustained musical tones, I see just about the same colors that you do, but I see them in textures. If Harry Carney is playing, D is dark blue burlap. If Johnny Hodges is playing, G becomes light blue satin". It is a fascinating subject matter, and one which synesthete Paul Melia delves into on
Hold Onto The Colours.
Hold Onto The Colours is an ambitious and intricate record exploring a multitude of genres, from pop, rock, classical to progressive, jazz and experimental music. It's an admirable task to tackle so many genres, and Melia accomplishes it, starting with the anthemic opener "Hold Onto The Colours". An early highlight of Melia's talent for orchestral arranging is the beautiful "Miss You", which continues where "Hold Onto The Colours" left off. Showcasing an excellent chorus, that hits an engaging high note after the bridge when it switches gears into a big band outro with orchestral instruments sweeping in and out of one another in dynamic style.
Melia's flair for orchestral arranging is matched by his skill to knock out some killer pop tracks with the likes of "Think All Day "and "Lights In The Sand". The aforementioned "Lights In The Sand" with it's big infectious melodies, has a vibe of The Beach Boys meets Prefab Sprout, while still retaining a modern sound. A nice nod to George Gershwin is heard within the lyrics: "I've Gershwin songs wrapped around my ear". A interesting left turn in the middle section of the track turns into a dance beat with harpsichord, shuttering vocals, big synths and adds a different aesthetic to the brilliant pop track.
The album shifts about halfway into a more classical, heavy and darker tone. "Shelter From My Mind" a little sweet tune, sets things up nicely into one of the biggest songs, "Flower In My Head". Melia has some serious piano chops on the song. "Flower in My Head" glides from section to section, starting with a lone classical piano melody that slowly builds into huge drums and aggressive strings to powerful affect. The outro features sublime, filmic sounding music playing over Melia's meaningful vocals which ends the track in beautiful fashion.
Things take a heavy turn courtesy of "Traffic Light Happiness" and "Heart Broken Symphony". "Traffic Light Happiness" is a big sounding prog rock track with great performances from the musicians, but the strings are too buried within the mix and would have been nicer to hear them more prominent. "Heart Broken Symphony" is massive track led by an excellent string arrangement, powerful drums and guitars. It is one of the centrepiece tracks on the album, and has unexpected moments like a children's choir on the last chorus that surprisingly works wonderfully against the heavy backdrop of the music.
The album starts to draw towards a end with the experimental "As The End Approaches" and the acoustic "Coma", which is a delicate, gorgeous track featuring one of the Melia's best string arrangements and vocal performances. The closing track "Daydream With Peter Pan/Hold Onto The Colours(Goodbye)" is almost schizophrenic in it's structure, commencing with a magical film score sound, before erupting with jazz trumpets and african percussion. The song shifts into a reprise of the opening track with layers of vocal harmonies for an intense ending to the record.
Melia has carved out a brilliant and compelling debut album that demands the listeners attention, but it's worth it.
