Life in hd - life in hd

Life In HD

Life In HD
self-released; 2013

3.7 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Life In HD’s recent self-titled debut release Life in HD contains six songs that mix elements from post-rock, ambient and even metal. All the songs are instrumental and are between 3 - 5 minutes long. The integral component in these songs is the dueling guitars that have a healthy amount of reverb and delay on them (and sometimes distortion). The guitars sometimes shred, other times they interweave with other each recalling a style not unlike that of a band like Mogwai (think Rock Action). The guitar work here isn’t only technically impressive but the tones Life in HD uses to capture the right emotions is equally as easy to admire. A wide palette of sounds make for an interesting if not captivating performance that creates enough diversity to keep you motivated to keep on listening throughout.

The album kicks off with “The Beach” which creates a dreamy soundscape that is forged from the intricate picking and precision of the guitars. It feels like you're walking in cloud as the song becomes slightly more intense but never reaches an apex. Instead it floats by creating different nuances through subtleties rather than stepping on a distortion pedal. “I Still Know You” while still founded in post-rock veers a bit more into a standard rock sound. I feel like it was the riffs themselves not the tones that made me feel this way. The song soars towards the end as Life in HD decides to break out some distortion and multiple changes, which make for a good ending. “An Overwhelming Realisation” is one of the highlights on the album as the guitar work is at its best here and the ending reaches heights yet not attained early in the album. Some minimal  electronic components are introduced during “On the Edge of the World” but don't last long as the song intensifies and the distorted guitars invade the frequency spectrum. Perhaps the oddest inclusion in this EP is the cover of The Offspring song called “Gone Away.” I was never a big fan of this band but actually enjoyed the way Life in HD decided to cover the song. The song is much more atmospheric and is worth checking out.

While the EP is a good instrumental guitar album it is often a bit predictable and lacks some originality at points. Besides these minor imperfections there are still a lot of moments that are worth visiting because they are just well performed and sound damn good. Life in HD Debut EP contains a number of solid tunes that show a lot of potential in this artist.

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