GRAND HALLWAY – Promenade

There is something to be said for the way a song is constructed. It doesn’t matter what kind of ornamentation a band places on the frame — if the frame of the song is bad, then the whole thing falls apart. Seattle-based octet Grand Hallway prove to be great architects of song, with Promenade made up of varied yet beautiful tracks, ranging from Wilco-styled alt-country, to Yo La Tengo-esque indie rock, all the way to songs sung in Japanese.

Nothing goes wrong here. Lead singer Tomo Nakayama’s voice and lyrics add astounding depth to the sound, with an excellent assortment of strings and percussion backing up his stellar vocal work. “Blessed Be, Honeybee” is a sheer marvel of a track with intricate design and brilliant lyrics — a love song that doesn’t come across as saccharine sweet or forced. It’s an organically brilliant display. Promenade is an ambitious effort in song building, and displays a level of musical mastery that is hard to find in the modern world. Buy this album.

(self-released, no address provided)