Hexagon is the second album from the German four-piece band Abby, here we see Abby venture into a more electronic spectrum throughout the album, a departure from their Indie Pop labeling which sees them more than comfortable in their new surroundings. This is first present on the third track ‘Halo’ with some nice vocal manipulation, it’s subtle, but a great touch which adds more dimension. It’s also good to see the band reaching out to incorporate other artists into the creativity of the album, here we see German techno Pan-Pot collaborating on the track ‘Birth’ while Brandt Brauer Frick contribute to the album’s instrumental title track
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With no demos prepared before entering the studio, Hexagon was recorded over the course of 16 months, giving the band time to explore and expand their sound in every conceivable direction. Most notably, the band has embraced techno influences, running alongside their more psychedelic instincts. Vocalist Filou explains, “We can all get along with techno’s abstractions and feeling of togetherness. We all like to party – all four of us soon realised that Berlin is not just an aspiration, it’s a real way of life that you have to approach with respect.
Hexagon is creatively diverse both musically and vocally throughout and has some nice surprises as it progresses through the album,richly layered full on tracks to sparse delicate pieces, I was already looking forward to the second listen not long after the album finished. Top track for me is ‘E.M.A’ , simple piano intro with layered vocals which builds up to a transitioning vocal going from Abby’s singer Filou to a female, london-street esque vocal. A quality album which has the commercial edge without loosing it’s individuality.
Tracklist
1. Hush
2. Time Is Golden
3. Halo
4. Ema
5. Birth (Feat. Pan-Pot)
6. Hexagon (Feat. Brandt Brauer Frick)
7. Friendly Fire
8. A Lion’s Death
9. Ocean
10. Hold Out And Drive
11. Sane And High
12. Island
Out now on Island records
