Hemispatial neglect, or hemineglect, is a neurological condition resulting in the brain being unable to perceive objects on one side of a person’s body. Hemineglect is also a Halifax-based alt-rock band that just released Is Obsolete, their follow-up EP to last year’s debut album.
Following some lineup shifts, Hemineglect has polished their sound since 2019’s In Media Res. The vocals have greatly improved, the production quality has been upped without sounding too sterile, and their melodies are much more memorable. The band still has some growing to do, however.
Considering this is a short seven-song EP, it’s strange that almost half the record is ambient soundscapes. “Sleep Teeth,” with its quiet Asian percussion and high-pitched droning sounds, cancels out all the excitement brought on by the energetic opening track “Made of Meat.”
It’s the same thing with “Formworks,” which features a single short piano motif repeated over and over again until an awkward pause tricks me into thinking the song is over…before that piano riff comes back in with no change and no forward momentum. The tenor saxophone and trumpet found on In Media Res would have added a lot to this song.
This problem continues on “New Life,” which sounds almost identical to “Sleep Teeth,” but with the faint sounds of a murmuring crowd that wears out its welcome long before the over four-minute-long piece ends.
The rest of the songs on Is Obsolete are much more fleshed out. With an increased focus on riffs and strong vocal melodies since their debut, Hemineglect channels high-energy ’90s rock, and some songs could almost be mistaken for one of Fugazi’s quieter deep cuts.
Vocalist/bassist Julian Hanson is the star of the show on these tracks. His intricate basslines, especially on “Made of Meat,” help to bring a Geddy Lee-esque vibe to the band’s prog-rock inspired sound, and his emotive vocals help to get the lyrics and melodies stuck in your head long after the record ends.
On Is Obsolete, Hemineglect shows a young band still evolving and finding their sound. There may be some growing pains, but there’s still plenty of promise and much to look forward to.