You could take the philosophical viewpoint and say that everything moves in circles. That would, after all, explain the terminal case of reinvention that has sealed the fate of the record industry. However, in matters of actual music making, then excising the past is rather more forgivable. Hi-Fiction Science – they hail from Bristol – draw heavily from prog-rock and psych-folk and then mix in a dash of experimentation just to keep things fresh.
The notable thing here is the eloquence of the playing. You just can’t get away with being third rate musicians if you are going to send your songs off in a freeform direction at the drop of a hat. Consequently, Hi-Fiction Science moves fluidly along with seemingly little effort yet still ably demonstrating that complexity was the aim all along. As you listen, the songs seem to flow more easily into each other with the end result being almost hypnotic with the very English voice of Maria Charles floating on top as if placed there by some higher being.
The standout track for me was the positively ethereal “PSK” but, like I said, you don’t just pull a song off this album. No, you have to let it all flow over you.