A mind of their own

Hal’s second album took seven years to make. There was no angst, just dedication to the music and a refusal to kowtow to the ‘suits’, says Ed Power

DAVE ALLEN is relaxed. His band, Hal, are releasing their second album, seven years after their debut. Many people have forgotten they existed. Reclining on an armchair in a Dublin hotel, he isn’t troubled. “It’s all about the music,” he says. “The record industry is fickle. Things are always going in and out of fashion. We didn’t want to put pressure on ourselves to fit into a scene. The goal was to create a document that would last forever.”

The Time, The Hour is no instant classic. But it is a fine album, the south Dublin four-piece channelling a love of late 1960s and early 1970s pop. While echoing the care-free spirit of their self-titled debut, it’s also more ambitious, stacked high with hooks and melodies.