Palindrome Hunches [Amazon.com Exclusive]

Neil Halstead | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 11, 2012)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Universal Republic
• ASIN: B008OM7A6I
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #146,659 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Digging Shelters

2. Bad Drugs and Minor Chords

3. Wittgenstien's

4. Spin The Bottle

5. Tied To You

6. Love Is A Beast

7. Palindrome Hunches

8. Full Moon Rising

9. Sandy

10. Hey Daydreamer

11. Loose Change

Editorial Reviews

This deluxe CD edition is exclusive to Amazon and is limited to 500 copies worldwide. Presented in a notebook style format with a chipboard front and back cover, the release features Neil Halstead's handwritten lyric sheets as well as open space for your own ruminations as you listen to the album. This is Neil's third solo album after a storied career with Slowdive and Mojave 3. AllMusic has called Neil "one of Britain's most respected songwriters".

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An even mellower Neil Halstead releases yet another quietly captivating album September 15, 2012

By Jack Tripper TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Back in the pre-internet days--before one could look up anything faster than it took me to type this sentence--I was a heavy listener of both Slowdive and Mojave 3, without ever realizing that they were essentially the same band as far as the members were concerned. Each led by singer/songwriter Neil Halstead, the two groups could not have been more different musically. Both specialized in lush, melodic, dreamy songs, but Mojave 3 were the stripped-down and mostly acoustic--one could even argue country-ish--cousin to Slowdive's tripped-out walls of guitars.

With Slowdive being only a distant memory (though reunion rumors are getting increasingly louder) and Mojave 3 an on-again off-again venture, each subsequent release from Halstead has been more subdued and personal, and that trend continues with 'Palindrome Hunches,' his first album in four years.

Halstead's uniquely intimate yet alluring voice--accompanied throughout only by a gentle acoustic guitar, subtle piano, violin, and the occasional banjo or tambourine--is in top form here. He has a way of making me strain to hear every last word, as his songs are almost like short stories, with little nuggets of wisdom spread throughout, and always delivered with an interesting turn of phrase that, when combined with the beautiful musical arrangements, makes it seem more profound than it would be otherwise. A good example is the dark, haunting "Tied to You," one of the fuller arrangements on the album. When he sings "There's a heart that beats, but you don't show it," it's very powerful--almost ominous--when backed by an eerie violin and hypnotic, minor chord guitar picking.

The production on the album is very understated, giving the whole thing an almost live feel, which works well for Neil's quiet, almost fragile songs. The only negative for me is that--similar to other recent efforts by Halstead--the overall mellow mood never really changes much throughout it's 45 minutes, other than a couple of slightly more upbeat numbers, resulting in an album that can become a little monotonous after a while, as beautiful and powerful as it's individual moments are.

Overall though, I think this is one of his more consistently rewarding efforts, delivering more than a few moments of pure bliss, not to mention one of the most infectious melodies of his entire career on "Bad Drugs and Minor Chords." The song was stuck in my head for hours last night while I was trying to sleep, and I finally had to get up and listen to it so I could go back to bed. That plan backfired on me, big-time.

While I definitely wouldn't scoff at a Slowdive reunion, or another Mojave 3 album, I'm just glad that Neil continues to put out such amazingly consistent work, even after 20-plus years. It's true that nothing he's done post-Slowdive has been groundbreaking, but when the music is as timeless and moving as the best of 'Palindrome Hunches,' who cares?

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A BEAUTIFUL KIND OF SADNESS September 19, 2012

By Daniel Martin

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

One who has never listened to a Neil Halstead record before (this being his 3rd solo venture) might listen to this and think he's trying to be Nick Drake. To do so would be a mistake. To do so would be to ignore his efforts with the bands Slowdive and Mojave 3. All of the records he made with those bands, and the two previous solo albums, has led him to create the most intimate, articulate and heartbreaking album of his unimaginably amazing career.

I have listened to this album several times already and it was only released a week ago. There aren't too many albums out this year that I have listened to more than twice. The music is minimal: acoustic guitar, piano, upright bass and violin. Keeping it this simple allows the vocals to become the focal point, as they should, they are some of the best lyrics he's ever written. "Death runs deep in this family, writes a song for the left hand only. Lost my arm in the first great war, wish I never learned that piano before" he sings in Wiggenstein's Arm. "Don't worry if you don't hear nothing for a time, it's just my way" he laments on the closing track, "Loose Change."

It's difficult to write a song with such incredible sadness and beauty at the same time. Neil Halstead has written an entire album. It's as if he's telling us all, "It's ok to be sad, for a time, but it's also ok to stop being sad." I am in love with this album.

Key Tracks: ALL OF THEM

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Something a little different from Neil......but I still like it September 13, 2012

By T. Wille

Format:Audio CD

Neil Halstead has and continues to be one of the best singer/songwriters on the planet and on his new record, Palindrome Hunches, he continues to showcase his talents. The album has some similarities to his first two solo records, but Palindrome is a bit darker and his use of the piano and violin on many of the songs adds an interesting twist to the album.

The album does not jump out at you the way the previous two did and there are not a lot of catchy, upbeat songs on the record but having listened to it five times through I find myself enjoying it more and more everytime I listen to it. If you are a fan of Neil Halstead from his Mojave 3 and Slowdive days, this album is a must for you. You will not be disappointed.