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Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate — The Uncertainty Principle
(Bandcamp no#, 2025, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2025-03-04

The Uncertainty Principle Cover art

It was back in 2015 when I first heard the band called Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate, and since then I’ve heard all seven (now eight) of their albums, along with a handful of EPs and singles. One of the things I’ve noticed is that for every single one of them my initial reaction is somewhat lukewarm — I find parts I like a lot and other parts that don’t grab me. But reviewing music isn’t all about first impressions, and I’ve found that in all eight cases, I end up liking the album a lot. The Uncertainty Principle followed this pattern. As with The Light of Ancient Mistakes, Hats Off consists of Malcolm Galloway (vocals, guitar, synths) and Mark Gatland (bass, guitar, synths); Kathryn Thomas plays flute on one track and sings on another, and Ethan Galloway sings on one. There’s no mention of a drummer, so I’m assuming Galloway programmed the parts — it’s skillfully done, so I have no complaints in this department. Continuing his examination of scientific topics in song form, Galloway’s lyrics deal with various aspects of certainty and uncertainty, both in physics and in life, inspired by Heisenberg’s famous principle. The central idea is stated in the liner notes: “Certainty is, on the whole, comfortable, but often misleading and dangerous.” Each song examines a facet of this idea, and each works as a standalone work apart from the whole. Musically, the Hats Off style is intact, a blending of Pink Floyd rock with touches of Philip Glass in the synths and hints of Van der Graaf Generator and Hawkwid at times. I find it particularly appealing that each song has a distinct identity while also remaining compatible with the rest of the band’s work. Plus I’m enough of a science nerd to appreciate the way the lyrics can be based on scientific topics but still have emotional impact. The flute on the title track is one of my favorite parts of the album, and I wish it was more prominent, but the whole album is quite solid and I recommend it to all fans of intelligent rock music.

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate, Malcolm Galloway

More info
http://hatsoffgentlemen.bandcamp.com/album/the-uncertainty-principle

 

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