Staff Reviews

Barry Hyde - Malody

Review by Paul Brown

The most rewarding albums are often the ones which come out of nowhere and take you completely unawares, and Malody is such a piece of work»

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Responsible for some of the biggest indie anthems of the past 10 years, Futureheads frontman Barry Hyde releases his debut solo album 'Malody' via Sirenspire Records. "Those familiar with my work with The Futureheads may be expecting an album of new wave inspired, four-part harmony, guitar music. 'Malody' couldn't be further away from that. The album is based around my first instrument, the piano, and also features violin, cello, double bass, tenor and baritone sax, pedal steel and trumpet." - Barry Hyde While in the midst of a severe mental breakdown in 2012, Barry was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mania he'd battled for the past decade. Masked by the success of The Futureheads, the bliss of performing kept him stable, and following their hiatus, Barry focussed on teaching music and training as a chef. Today, Hyde has found balance and stability, helped in part by the creation of his debut solo album, which documents his life with bipolar disorder. Predominantly piano led, 'Malody' has an intense and vivid energy, it's also strikingly elegant - a quality enhanced by the addition of a six-piece ensemble. A far cry from the The Futureheads' trailblazing herky-jerky indie hits, the dramatic and moving record establishes Hyde as an idiosyncratic songwriter and pianist who deserves to stand alongside the likes of John Grant, Meilyr Jones, and Perfume Genius.
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