There’s a rawness that permeates the entirety of Éyal Hai’s debut record Flowers On The Moon, a characteristic that’s immediately present in both his wavering vocal delivery and varied instrumental direction. Against modulating synths, equal parts jazz and aggressive electronica, Hai’s vox slides and rolls, steeped in a palpable frustration from album opener "I Need A Minute" to closer "The Way I Feel Inside." It’s an uncompromising approach from start to finish, one that’s indicative of Hai’s multidisciplinary approach and desire to “merge jazz with 90’s grunge and pop” on his freshmen release. Such a cross-genre effort might make for odd bedfellows, but Hai’s channeling of an alternative angst into a medium a lot more complex than your usual power trio strikes a fresh middle ground, crafting an LP that incorporates elements both polished and gritty, and culminating in our favorite track "Sober Dream (One by One) – a tense song reminiscent of another NYC band that, in the late ’90s, synthesized a similar blend of influences in spectacular fashion: Soul Coughing.
Éyal Hai will play a record release show for Flowers On The Moon at Zone One on November 17th, supported by Birch and Friend Roulette. You can stream the record in full below. – Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)