Search - Centaur :: In Streams

Head Hum honcho makes his own band

Sal Nudo | Champaign, Illinois | 04/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The great Hum are gone, but Matt Talbott's Centaur are just as cool and exciting. The song "Life Begins" starts "In Streams" in a hopeful manner, and gives the album a questlike feel. Talbott's normally placid vocals are pitched higher, suggesting changes are afoot in his musical repertoire. "This is where my life begins," sings Talbott in a state of tranquil happiness; "This is how I want it to end," he adds, making for a touching, heartfelt beginning.



Actually, Centaur don't diverge THAT much from the classic Hum sound; you can tell this record is Talbott's baby, and the sound is all his own. These eight songs stretch out in a natural, sometimes pleasant, sometimes all-out rocking fashion. The sounds from "In Streams" are in no hurry to get anywhere. Mixed with Talbott's mellow, poetic lyrics, and his overall sense of tunefulness, "In Streams" is a real gem. Somehow the loud/soft/loud dynamic that Talbott records never gets old. "The Same Place" boasts speaker-blistering guitar fuzz, while the boxy drums are reminiscent of the old Hum sound heard on You'd Prefer an Astronaut. The tremendous "Strangers on 5" wanders serenely around with soft vocals and abstract lyrics: Everything relaxed, including the surprising organ melody that subtly pipes in, when, slowly, seven minutes into the song, big, fuzzy guitars come crashing in to liven up the atmosphere and eventually fade out the song. "Placencia" has a minor pop sound, vaguely last heard on Talbott's final Hum record, Downward Is Heavenward, as well as great guitar work. Similarly, "Thimbles" is Hum reincarnated. For an all-out rock barrage, however, "Fields" can't be beat. Its riff is sheer sonic force, vintage '90s guitar rock and roll. Live, this song must be awesome. Once more, Talbott sounds great on vocals.



The title track closes the album with a similar, albeit much slower, fuzz-guitar flourish, and a cool, high-pitched '80s synth sound. From soft to hard, hard to soft, plus a very philosophical lyrical outlook, the song "In Streams" allows the entire album to come together -- and end -- perfectly. When the song slows down, its guitar melody is similar, I swear to God, to Def Leppard's 1987 power ballad "Hysteria" from Hysteria. The song -- and thus the album -- ends on a long, eerie synth sound.



"In Streams" is mostly a mood album, best heard at once, each song flowing into the next. Centaur is a unique band, hopefully a band that will stay together and record for a while, in the absence of Hum."

"The Same Place"...

Ryan E Raveling | Oakdale, Mn United States | 02/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First thing first, this is Centaur and not HUM. The comparisons will never end though. For all you HUM fans, the album, "In Streams" should remind you of HUM's "Downward is Heavenward." But again I say that Centaur is not HUM. They are although just as great! "In Streams" is a collection of 8 songs that blend into a magnificent album. The album emphasises Mr. Talbott's singing ability more than his other endeavors. His voice shines through, sometimes the layers of distortion and other times only echoing in front of hardly anything. Don't get me wrong, the distorted guitars are here and here with power, a signature of Mr. Talbott. By far, this is the best album I purchased in the year 2002. My favorites song out of the entire album would be, if I had to choose, "The Same Place." There is just something about a quiet intro and then a wall of sound from the glorious drums, terrific bass and roaring guitars. That says nothing about the phenomenal and eerie lyrics . "In Streams" was and still is the best cd I purchased last year. I believe that my glowing review still does not do it justice. A great album by a trio of great musicians."

The Return of Talbot

SLIMMORTAL | Salisbury, NC USA | 12/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hum fans should enjoy Centaur. It is less punchy or poppy than Hum in that there are no hooks or refrains, which I think is a good thing. The songs have an ambient kind of groove. The thick fuzz of guitar riffs creep along appropriately with singer Matt Talbot's echoing reverberated vocals. His voice seems sad and lonesome. If you enjoy HUM, Matt's previous band, you should enjoy this, although CENTAUR is clearly a band of their own. This music is somewhat more mellow. Most of the drumming is less frantic and basically more straightforward and Matt never belts out any of of his strained screams and hollers which always make me feel good. But this will clearly be my pick for a dreary rainy day or if I want to fall asleep w/ my headphones on."