Hidden Shoal Recordings Announces the Release of the New Chris Mason Album

On his sophomore release Chris Mason and his band The Implosion traverse the realms of melancholic pop, gorgeously crafted acoustica and shining newgaze rock. Restless is a masterful foray into pop mu-sic in all its varied guises.

The album features the recently released single ‘Fast and Furious’ with its visceral growling guitars, layered rolling hooks and aching vocals. As Mason sings, “He’s coming back for us” the song's wonderfully razored balancing act between hope and a dark sense of fatalistic urgency is exposed. This is newgazer pop with an edge.

Along with the hanging ambient acoustica of 'Wait', the down rock viscera of the Swerverdriver-esque 'The Safety Day' and the gorgeous rising pop of the title track, Restless is kaleidoscipally beautiful, built around a wonderful sense of songcraft and pop sensibility. The album's shifting emotional narrative builds with each ensuing track until we hit a full stop that is the devastating beauty of final track 'Ether'.

With the addition of a full band, Restless adds another layer of sonic complexity to last year's wonder-fully received Up Down Up and reinforces Mason's position as one of Australia's shining lights.


Chris Mason
It was inevitable, really. From a family of musicians (father, brother, uncountable sisters) …another musician. Treading the path most trodden, taking the easy decision into a life of creative despair and financial ruin. No, really…

Chris Mason, solo artist, locked in the studio for quite some time but finally emerging with a debut album that, to his perfectionist mind, was good enough for other people to hear. Writing, arrangements, production, and instrumentation all sweated over. Up Down Up was the result of an auteur’s touch. The album has been wonderfully received and resulted in Mason becoming an iTunes indie feature artist.

The Release
The album is exclusive to the HSR Store until late August when it will be available in all good digital music stores including iTunes, eMusic and Rhapsody. The album will be launched at The Velvet Lounge, Perth, Western Australia on the 22nd of July. See the label website for more information.

The Label
Hidden Shoal Recordings is an Australian based independent digital music label. The label is a unique marriage of contemporary distribution, marketing and publicity with traditional indie label values and, most importantly, a wonderful catalogue of releases.

Label Site: http://music.hiddenshoal.com
HSR Store: http://agora.hiddenshoal.com