An album filled with hope, love and humanity

Trip-hop United Kingdom band, Haelos, made an incredible impact on the music world in 2016 with the release of their debut LP Full Circle which reached number five on the US Billboard charts. By focusing on themes like love and loss, the band quickly bonded with fans from all over the world. Band members Arthur Delaney, Lotti Benardout, Dom Goldsmith and Daniel Vildosola made the creative decision to change views and musical themes are they worked on their second studio album. Any Random Kindness takes the time to explore the current environmental crisis, anxiety and emptiness and even dabbled in the overuse of social media in our current age.

The 11-track album opens with “Another Universe,” a minimalistic track that feeds on its use of synths and strings. “Buried In The Sand” combines electronic beats and robotic keys to create a dance based instrumental. “End Of World Party” might be the most scrutinizing track on the album while still creating a fun atmosphere. With lyrics like, “it’s the children that we lose/ trust your government” and “meet me there at the end, time to forget/ puppet kings and hurricanes ain’t got us yet,” one could assume that our friends from the UK might be pointing out our current political climate here in the U.S. Another track that takes its time to address current issues is “ARK.” A track littered with climate change problems and concerns comes to a head with its intense synth, piano and layered beats. “Deep State” takes on more of a classic indie-folk song until the listener is met with guitar, drums and plenty of percussion. The album closes with a love-letter to humanity and the love of our planet in “Last One Out (Turn the Lights Off).” What comes across as a bluesy, electro mix-up, Haelos makes it clear that change needs to happen now.

Haelos takes Any Random Kindness and fills it to the brim with modern soundscapes mixed with a little of their classic euphoric sound. The album takes its time creating new textures and sounds with every track while leaving the listener informed and ready to create a better earth for all.