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The Hypnogogue by The Church–Album Review
The Hypnogogue by The Church–Album Review
Legendary Australian neo-psych outfit the Church have released their 26th album, The Hypnogogue. It’s their first-ever concept album straight out of a dystopian near future, where, Ray Kurzweil-like, humans merge with artificial intelligence. As usually happens in stories like this, chaos ensues.
But chaos is the last thing you can expect to find in a Church record, not since their early days. The band has been churning out albums every couple of years for more than 4 decades, and it’s clear they know the kind of albums they want to release, and how to get there. Determined to not ride the coattails of that one worldwide hit from 35 years ago, they’ve carved out a sound all their own, in a galaxy far, far away from the Milky Way.
They’ve carved out a sound all their own, in a galaxy far, far away from the Milky Way.
The album and lead single are very aptly named. Their music, in parts majestic, shimmery, and jangly, sonically and lyrically dense, always mid-tempo, never rocking, sometimes droning, puts you in a hypnogogic state, halfway between waking and sleep. The hypnogogue is where you go to enter that state. It’s a wonder it took them more than three decades to finally put a name to the sound that defines their music so precisely.
The band has evolved its sound and its members, so its fans have had to evolve along with them if they wanted to keep up. Admittedly, I’ve had a hard time adapting to and accepting the direction their music has taken over the years, but I’ve never given up on them. It’s an unfair burden to put on an artist, expecting them to keep putting out the same record, year after year. So it’s a good thing they defied those expectations from so long ago. Their music continues to be undeniably beautiful, and every album of theirs draws you in. But never in a poppy way. Gone are the hooks, for the most part.
While you won’t find another “Unguarded Moment” on The Hypnogogue (or any album in their recent discography), you will find them channeling their jangle-rock origins in tracks like “C’est La Vie” and “Aerodrome”. The rhythm guitar line in “I Think I Knew” gives a familiar nod to “Lost” on Starfish. But now you also hear more classic rock guitar heroics, new-ish guitarist Ian Haug’s imprint no doubt. It’s funny how a guitarist who’s been with the band for nearly a decade can be considered new. This album flexes some new muscles, but the rest of their body of music remains toned and fit.
“No Other You” starts with a swagger, all wrapped up in Mott the Hoople glory, like they reinvented their cover of All the Young Dudes on A Box of Birds. But there’s a yearning to the music that I haven’t heard since After Everything Now This.
The Hypnogogue touches on their past glory, and hints to a future that may never come.
The closer, “Second Bridge”, is about as epic as they get, and is such a fitting closing track, their best since “Roman” (from Heyday) or “Hotel Womb” (from Starfish). Yes, it’s much better than live favorite, recent closer “Miami” (from Further Deeper).
Speaking of closers, in a recent interview, sole remaining original member, singer/songwriter/bass player Steve Kilbey said this is “very possibly the last Church album ever.” If that’s truly the case, then with this album the band has left the studio for the last time on quite a high note. The Hypnogogue touches on their past glory, and hints to a future that may never come, unless of course some AI has something to say about it and releases an album of theirs on its own.
Interview: Steve Kilbey of the Church
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