Glös - Harmonium | DECAPOLIS

Glös - Harmonium

Much like last year's ActionReaction, Glos is a supergroup containing members of several well known indie groups. Engine Down and Denali are the big contributors, although some of the members have been in other groups as well. Yet the comparison to ActionReaction goes beyond simple supergroup status. The general sound is fairly similar and the lead vocalists do similar things. There are even further parallels. One of the major contributing groups to ActionReaction was Element 101, who was known for their female lead vocalist. Denali was definitely known for their female lead vocalist. And both ActionReaction and Glos retain the females, yet neither do lead vocals in their respective group.

It is head scratching as to why they would have kept Maura Davis out of the lead role. Her voice in Denali was the sole reason to listen to the band. Her voice would cause swans to pause swimming. Maura Davis is the perfect front woman. Yet instead they regulate her to back up vocals. Granted, she does a fantastic job on back-ups. But how much better could the album have been if the lead vocalist reversed roles with her?

Despite that miscasting, the album largely succeeds based on the solid song writing presented. The album borrows the overall feel of the ActionReaction album while making it better. It is hard to pinpoint what Glos does differently with the sound that ActionReaction failed to do, yet Glos makes it sound exciting. ActionReaction merely tempted us with a few good songs while, as a whole, failing to deliver an entire album of entertainment. Harmonium, on the other hand, is an entire album of fantastic songs. Rather that relying on the same trick song after song, each track feels individually crafted and thought out.

In the end, the first Glos album is a really well put together work. Unfortunately, the obvious comparison to ActionReaction hampers it, even though Glos comes out the superior group. The lack of utilization of Maura Davis also is glaring. Somehow, however, the album overcomes those mistakes and ends up being a great listen. Definitely recommended for people who liked what ActionReaction was trying to do. Also recommended for fans of Denali and Engine Down, although Denali fans will probably be disappointed at the lead vocalist. But even they should be encouraged by what successfully achieves.