Here is a review that is somewhat overdue (the album having been released in May) but that's what happens here when you only release your work in digital download format only, at least in my world; it takes a back seat to physical product I get sent. In this digital age anyone can put nearly anything easily on the web, and I'm of the (old school) belief that if you've got a worthy product you really care about and believe in , you will make it available physically as well as digitally. I know, I know, it's expensive to do that but there are plenty of independent artists (likely just poor as you) who are putting out physical product one way or another, so just deal with it. Anyway, enough of that.

'Dark Hallways' is Johnathan|Christian's third (full length) release after 'The Nothing I Feel' from 2015 which I reviewed here. The group is Johnathan Mooney (synths, keys, composition) from the U.S., and Christian Granquist (Vocals, lyrics) from Stockholm, Sweden, with the addition of Tiger Koehn (percussive battery). To a certain extent this new album is more polished, consistent and homogenous than their previous works, but that doesn't necessarily guarantee a better result. The opener, "Deeper" is supposed to be a mood setter, paving the way for an introspective excursion, and although it does set one, it's a rather dour and depressing trip. Christian's gruffer than Peter Murphy vocals are well suited for this kind of thing, but the angst can only be stretched so far before it becomes tedious. "Car Crash Romance" should have been a nice angry kicker but it tends to wallow in self despair more than anything else. As nicely orchestrated as title track "Dark Hallways" is, it comes off as morosely blasé. The next couple of tracks seem equally prosaic. Then there is a cover of that old Kate Bush chestnut, "Running Up That Hill," a chance for redemption squandered in an overblown orchestration of the original, with little to add (the children's voices at the beginning don't count), and no nuance to speak of. Half the album gone, and this was not going so well.

I was just about ready to throw in the towel when "One Last Night" picked up the pace and revived my interest. FINALLY, a song with some oomph, a decent hook and panache. Gimme more! The followup, "Built" is pretty cool too, vocally reminiscent of PM's side-project, Dali's Car. Next up we have another cover, this time Pink Floyd/Roger Waters' "Nobody Home" from 'The Wall' album. To me, an odd choice for a cover. 'The Wall' is one of my least favorite PF albums, but there are tons of people out there who love it. This is a much better than average cover of the song, and Christian is equally as expressive as Waters on it, maybe even moreso, so in that sense, it's a winner. The last three tracks are remixes of a couple of previous songs on the album- "Car Crash Romance" (LeaetherStrip, Electropoint) and "Clearer" (Joe Letz of Combichrist). Usually I'm not a big fan of remixes, but in this case Claus Larsen makes "Car Crash Romance" a super-psychodrama dancefloor driver. "Clearer" (Letz Be Friends Mix) is a rather bodacious take on the original than not only serves as good club fodder but makes its mark with a highly adventurous and interesting arrangement. The Electric Auto Mix of "Car Crash Romance" sets it to a 4-onthe-floor beat but adds in a variety of effective electro elements that kick it over the top.

As you can tell, I didn’t care much for the first half of the album, but the second half has a lot going for it. I think it could have been boiled down to a really good EP. Available lots of places, so you should check it out for yourself.