The latest EP from Halifax-based solo artist Julian Hanson, otherwise known as High October, is certainly evocative of some somber times. While Hanson has categorized his work as “dark-folk”, Medication for the Rats incorporates a variety of influences from outside the world of folk music including emo and electronic music.
While this release may only be five tracks in length, Hanson doesn’t cut any corners; with each track extending beyond the three-and-a-half-minute mark. It’s a densely packed project that showcases genuine thought and introspection, however dreary those thoughts may be.
Medication For The Rats opens with “Don’t Mention It,” a subdued and barebones piano ballad that kicks into high gear towards the middle but still maintains its ethereal quality. Hanson repeats the same two verses over the repeated piano, and in doing so establishes these themes of hopelessness and bleakness that are so prevalent through the rest of the project.
“And what I see, before me,
Is a rose on the road home,
They can hesitate, don’t you worry,
You’ll be loved after they’re gone,
And what I see is so blurry,
Running down that road towards the sun,
Full of chaos and heartbreak,
That life you choose to live will see the sun”
A jittery arpeggiated synth serves as the foundation for the track “Worker and Parasite,” which on its own feels evocative of something out of an eighties heist movie. It’s Hanson’s winding vocal melody and lyricism that elevate this track out of a safe-cracking montage into an intense ambient experience.
The third track of the project, “It’s Kyro Town,” definitely stands out as a highlight also. Much like the rest of the record, the soundscape is celestial and spacious, however, Hanson opts for a catchier approach and it really pays off. Bright pianos and glistening guitars that whistle through the background only heighten Hanson’s dramatic vocal performance.
The entirety of Medication for the Rats was written, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Hanson himself; a process that certainly contributed to how personal and intimate the project feels. After listening to a record like this, you can’t help but feel as though you’ve learned something about the person behind it.