Hiding In Public – What Lies Ahead

Hiding In Public – What Lies Ahead / 2006 Self / 11 Tracks / http://www.hidinginpublic.com / Reviewed 29 January 2007

Hiding In Public play an odd brand of rock music. If anything, tracks like “Satellite” seem to be heavy in a tradition that includes acts like The Eagles and Bryan Adams. There is not a modernization of these influences, but rather Hiding In Public attempts to perfect the musical style. “Satellite” is the first track on the disc, and it becomes catchier with each subsequent minute that the song runs.

Where it starts off slowly, the tempo increases to a quicker pace soon after. There is a much more smooth approach taken by Hiding In Public during “Closing In”. While the band is much more softly spoken during this track, their ability to compel does not decrease. The instrumentation takes a back seat during this track, where the vocals create most of the harmony for the track. This shows that instead of purely allowing their instruments to shine, Hiding In Public can do an about-face and titillate their fans with the slightly-gritty vocals of their lead. There is more than a small nod to Pink Floyd and The Beatles during the quicker “Things Will Never Be The Same”. This is the next “big money” track for Hiding In Public, as individuals can easily follow along with the track, while the band still maintains their high level of output. “Traffic In My Head” attempts to go for a slightly newer, almost Elvis Costello-like sound but Hiding In Public struggles during this track. The different tempos that the sections of the tracks have between each other makes the seams in this patchwork noticeable, and Hiding In Public struggling by the opening of “Home Tonight”.

“Home Tonight” is another slow-starter of a track, but this almost lounge-influenced track begins to gain a little speed as the guitar plays softly in the background. Again, it is a vocal-dominant track for Hiding In Public, but the unity of the vocal and instrumental during this track keeps individuals focused in on the band. Hiding In Public has eleven cuts on this album, and while the band shows their humanity by having tracks that do not pass with flying colors, they are by no means a below-average act. “What Lies Ahead” is a good title for this album, as it shows a band that has not limited themselves in the slightest for future albums. While there are some rough spots on this disc, the band can only get better, to the point that they could be one of the premiere acts in what is a very difficult style to become successful in.

Top Tracks: Things Will Never Be The Same, Satellite

Rating: 5.7/10

[JMcQ]