Formed in London, UK in early 2010, Halls worked on material that would appear on the debut EP 'Halls EP', released in January 2011, which was described as having 'ambient soundscapes buttressed by skitter-step beats.'
'Ark' - his brooding debut album - draws from a palette of crystalline melodies, intense production and panoramic instrumentation to create a deeply personal, constructivist work of art. Evocative in sound and yet isolationist in sentiment, the album is an intense, dramatic and emotive study of loss and modern anxiety set to a strained electronic soundtrack.
In his new work 'Love To Give', Howard has replaced apprehension and doubt with a muted hope, and just as the sentiment has shifted, as too the compositions and arrangements have moved into the real world. Ark’s electronic templates have ceded to - as Howard says - “embrace the sound of human beings”, and the instrumental palate has widened: brass, tuned percussion, woodwinds, and organs now flesh out the tracks, with digital percussion only used for texture rather than structure. Much was recorded in a theatre in London’s Woolwich, with Howard’s vocals recorded naturally in the large main hall, and passing traffic and street noise can be heard faintly throughout the album.
http://hallsmusic.net
ark
Halls Lyrics
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Save your sons and your daughters
Build an ark
Build an ark when the storm is ended
You'll know the world has been mended
Build an ark
Tired of all the killin's
Tired of the men who make the laws
And break them any time they please
I'm tired of all the big lies
Where are all the good guys?
Sometimes I swear I feel the way
That Noah did when the lord commanded
Build an ark head for the open water
Save your sons and your daughters
Build an ark
Build an ark when the storm is ended
You'll know the world has been mended
Build an ark
My father and my mother
My sisters and my brothers
All of the friends that I care about
And the woman that I've learned to love
I'll gather them together promise them forever
We'll be safe from the world around us
All we have to do is to love each other
Build an ark head for the open water
Save your sons and your daughters
Build an ark
Build an ark when the storm is ended
You'll know the world has been mended
Build an ark
Let's gather them together promise them forever
We'll be safe from the world around us
All we have to do is to love each other
Build an ark you got to head for the open water
Save your sons and your daughters
Build an ark
Build an ark when the storm is ended
You'll know the world has been mended
Build an ark
Build an ark head for the open water
Save your sons and your daughters
Build an ark
Build an ark when the storm is ended
You'll know the world has been mended
Build an ark
The lyrics of Halls's song Ark convey a message of hope and survival, encapsulated in the idea of building an ark. The song speaks to the chaos and darkness that dominates our world and urges us to find shelter and safety in the midst of the storm. The need for salvation is reminiscent of the biblical story of Noah's Ark, where Noah built an ark to save himself, his family, and the animals from the great flood.
The opening lines of the song, "Build an ark head for the open water, save your sons and your daughters," are a call to action, a plea to invest in building something that would provide us with protection, in the face of life's uncertainties. The lyricist then paints a picture of the perfect, mended world that would follow the storm, saying "Build an ark, when the storm is ended, you'll know the world has been mended, build an ark." It's as if the ark is a metaphor for rebuilding a damaged world, where love brings us together.
The song's inspiration seems to come from the songwriter's disheartenment of the endless killing, lies, and political chaos in the world. He longs for a world where people are kind to each other, hidden from the harm and chaos of the world. This idea of loving each other becomes the cornerstone of building an ark, the place where the select few will gather and find safety from the stormy world. Ultimately, the message is clear, to build an ark, we have to love and protect each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Build an ark head for the open water
Create a vessel to take you away from the troubled land
Save your sons and your daughters
Ensure the safety of your loved ones
Build an ark when the storm is ended
Construct your ark when the calamity is over
You'll know the world has been mended
The state of the world will signify its restoration
I'm tired of all the villains
I'm fatigued of the evil ones
Tired of all the killin's
Exhausted of all the murders
Tired of the men who make the laws
Sick of the ones who generate rules
And break them any time they please
And breach them whenever they desire
I'm tired of all the big lies
I'm weary of the enormous lies
Where are all the good guys?
Where are all the virtuous ones?
Sometimes I swear I feel the way
Sometimes I vow to feel the same way
That Noah did when the lord commanded
As Noah did when the lord gave an order
My father and my mother
My dad and my mom
My sisters and my brothers
My female siblings and male siblings
All of the friends that I care about
All of the buddies that I cherish
And the woman that I've learned to love
And the lady that I've taught myself to love
I'll gather them together promise them forever
I'll assemble them, pledge them indefinitely
We'll be safe from the world around us
We'll be secure from the surrounding world
All we have to do is to love each other
All we need to do is to adore one another
Let's gather them together promise them forever
Let's bring them together, vow them forever
Build an ark you got to head for the open water
Construct an ark and sail towards the vast sea
Build an ark
Make a ship to seek refuge
Build an ark when the storm is ended
Construct your ark when the calamitous weather is over
You'll know the world has been mended
The state of the world will signify its restoration
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Written by: PAUL EVANS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind