Hi
BMG, 2021
8/10
The long running Scottish rockers Texas return with a 10th album, where front woman Sharleen Spiteri steers a listen in and out of textures from the ‘70s and ‘80s, and with some excellent collaborations present across the diverse tunes.
“Mr Haze” starts the album with Spiteri’s expressive and soulful vocals guiding a very sophisticated version of pop that’s full of hints at Motown, and the title track follows with contributions from Wu-Tang Clan as scrappy drumming and plenty of melody enters the soothing climate that welcomes hip-hop inspired beats.
Further down the line, the calm “Dark Fire” emits much warmth in a vocally strong and sweet landscape where hand clapping and a breezy island flavor won’t go unnoticed, while the duet “Look What You’ve Done” bounces with an ‘80s spirit as a dreaminess surrounds the charming delivery that’s in line with today’s indie-rock.. “Heaven Knows”, an extremely noteworthy track, then embraces the ‘60s with a jangle you can’t help but admire.
Approaching the end, “Falling” enters darker territory as post-punk textures blend into the breathy singing, and “Had To Leave” finishes the listen steeped in neo-soul, including graceful strings and soft horns to punctuate the mood.
Layered flawlessly and able to reel in influences on both the loud and intimate parts of the spectrum, Hi is an album that was sort of made by mistake after demos and lost sessions from their 1997 album, White On Blonde, were discovered. Certainly on par with their best work to date, Texas are nothing if not consistent, and their 35 year career is still very much flourishing.
Travels well with: The Cranberries- In The End; Teenage Fanclub- Here