Album Review - Hybrid/Light of the Fearless

Light of the Fearless
Hybrid

Nearly 20 years ago, my brother-in-law introduced me to an EDM combo who offered something a little different from all that shit dance stuff (IMHO) masquerading as music. What made Hybrid different was the use of massive soundscapes; orchestras and rock instruments added texture and cred to their style and I suggested Hybrid were more progressive than dance.

By the mid-noughties after a couple of almost uncategorisable albums working with prog rock musicians, and the likes of Perry Farrell and Julee Cruise, they seemed to settle on a new look and feel to their music. Disappear Here introduced Charlotte James (real name Truman) as the new front-woman of a rock-tinged EDM 'band'. That album seemed to cement Hybrid into a specific sub-genre and James certainly seemed like a great addition to their line-up. 'Disappear Here' was full of banging rock-tinged dance tunes that weren't quite so easily labelled.

Then nothing. For six years.

In the summer of 2015, it was announced that Chris Healings had left the band to explore a new career in sound design and to concentrate on being a DJ. My initial reaction was that Healings was obviously the EDM influence in the band, so his departure might mean a harder edge to Hybrid; more rock than dance. Especially as I saw James as a great recruit with a versatile voice...

I couldn't have been further from the truth...

For three years, the Hybrid website simply had an 'excerpt' from the forthcoming album. I've listened to the new album three times now and I can't hear it. The fact the 'excerpt' was head and shoulders better than the entire Light of the Fearless album suggests to me that they decided to change direction.

The new album isn't going to be a constant on my player; in fact it's probably not going to feature again. It's basically, to me, a bad pop album with a bit of clever production. The cinematic hugeness of Hybrid's music has disappeared and been replaced by jangly production, soulful choirs and there isn't enough of the Hybrid I've regarded as one of my favourite bands for the last 19 years to make it worth listening to again.

There are a few moments in it, but moments aren't enough - Beauty Queen being the closest thing to anything that came before. However, what there is a lot of is bland pop music, finished off with what can only be described as a woefully poor homage to Tom Petty with a truly awful cover of 'I Won't Back Down'.

I've banged on about Hybrid for years. I still recommend 'Morning Sci Fi' as possibly one of the best electronic rock albums of all time, but 'Light of the Fearless' is pretty much not in that league. I'm really glad I didn't waste my money on it.

2/10