4 out of 5

Produced by: Ryan Hadlock

Label: Peek-A-Boo Records

I really enjoy Octopus Project and their Hello Avalache album.  Every moment feels precisely considered and configured; the record plays out seamlessly, slipping from chill-out moments like our vibraphone opener Snow Tip Cap Mountain, to a pop-rock follow up , to techno bleats, teethier rockers, and on through the closing Queen, a full on soft sung, touching, little track.

And while much of this is the Octopus Project definition – their live act of switching instruments and styles at will translates to a very collaborative sound on album – that same definition is always a roadblock to perfection.  OP perpetually feels like they’re in a warm up for an even better idea.  This gives their recordings a sense of exuberance, something the allmusic review of this album translates as the band experimenting for their own interests and not to garner cred, and with which I’d absolutely agree; for all of their electronic flourish, OP hones a very organic sound, which then gets petted and slicked down to album-sized chunks of exciting electro pop.

Hello, Avalanche takes this already polished formula and improves upon it with some sequencing, which has the album warming us up with tamer, happier fare before tossing some harsher hooks our way and then bringing it all together – the pop, the rock, the groove – for some key highlights.  This time out, once the party reaches its frenzy by about the midway point, OP doesn’t let up with the hooks and nuance until that pleasingly emotive closer.