Greylevel – Hypostatic Union

 hypo·static: (hp-sttk) adjective, definition 1 (Philosophy): of or pertaining to the substance, essence, or underlying reality.

I’ve had Greylevel‘s Hypostatic Union on my desk for quite a few weeks now.  Greylevel is a west coast band–Canadian west coast that is.  This unique band began as a solo project for Derek Barber.  Since the beginning in 2005, they have evolved into a 5 member band with a passion for music.

After listening to Hypostatic Union several times I have to say Greylevel are dedicated to carefully crafting their music.  The entire album has a seamless sound.  The songs flow into one another which is good; however there are times where I wasn’t really certain where one song ended & the next began.  Personally I enjoy more separation between songs…an overarching theme as opposed to what sometimes feels like a run on of the same song.

Memory Remains kicks off Greylevel’s sophomore showing with some moody prog perfect for a winter’s day in front of the fire.  The instrumentation is nice; calm guitar blending with the minor vocals.  It is a song of heartbreak & longing as the title suggests.  The lyrics try incredibly hard to be deeply poetic–they don’t quite reach the mark.

We ache for ceaseless peaceful days/….in a world of forgetting/what is yesterday? ….You took it away/my innocence lost/…I still remember that moment/you walked away/the words that were spoken/would you say them again today?/ When your voice began to rise/eyes ablaze/I knew that you had nothing to say

The lyrics here jump from memorable to generic & back again.  The story has less emotional impact with the lack of consistently strong lyrics.

Hypostatic Union, the title track, has some wonderful piano which is a bright spot in what I feel is an otherwise bland album.  There’s nothing particularly wrong with this CD but I also wasn’t blown away by anything specific.  Overall it is a nice, safe prog record & makes nice background music if you’re looking to relax & brood on a dreary day.

Hypostatic Union (2011) track list:

• 1. memory remains (9.32)
• 2. achromatize (11.14)
• 3. terminal (8.16)
• 4. pale blue dot (7.45)
• 5. already, not yet (9.02)
• 6. buried in time (3.48)
• 7. hypostatic union (13.10)
• 8. signals (5.11)

 The Band

• Derek Barber: vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitars
• Richard Shukin: rhythm and lead guitars
• Esther Barber: vocals
• Davis Friesen: bass
• Tyler Friesen: drums and percussion

 Additional Credits

• Jason Martin: backing vocals and additional guitars
• Michael De Boer: backing vocals
• Rebecca De Boer: backing vocals

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