Live Review: Haelos - Wise Hall and Lounge, Vancouver 24/03/2019

Haelos are an electro-pop 4 piece from London known for creating anthemic beats you can’t help dance, tap your fingers or bop your head to. Tonight though, they’re at Vancouver’s WISE hall to bring their dark euphoria to West Coast fans (ahead of release of their sophomore album, Any Random Kindness.)

Opening with Kyoto, hips start to sway in motion, the crowd moves unknowingly in unison and this alone paints a perfect cinematic picture. One that is further driven through atmospheric lights and coinciding tunes.

New track End of World Party proves as an instant hit, at least for the collection of fans at tonight’s show. With catchy vocal hooks and droning synths, this is yet another song to play on repeat from Haelos.

Shortly after, Dust enlightens the room with nostalgia. It’s the first track the band wrote together and the reason they’re on this stage in the first place. The haunting harmonies silence the room, creating a stillness where there once was movement. That is until the captivating chorus comes in - dancing is an inevitable choice for a track like this and some fans came prepared. What seems like rehearsed numbers cast shadows in one corner, this team gravitate eyes towards every busting motion, as if they were on stage themselves.

There’s an impeccable mix of echoes and thumping vibrations, no wonder this show is hard to shake. Lead singer’s Lotti and Dom’s vocals match effortlessly like reflections bouncing off one another. Backed by driving rhythms as well as subtle acoustics and progressive rock, the sound is euphoric.

And with a more than appreciative crowd, it shows that Haelos are destined for even bigger stages. Their presence filling a void we’ve been long searching for. Any Random Kindness seems set with all the electric feels - eerie, upbeat and full of goodness. And as they bring their set to a close with Pray, the audience filters out already in anticipation for the record.

Words and photos by Alice Hadden