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Hal: Hal

Chris Roberts, Uncut, May 2005

TWENTYSOMETHING BROTHERS Dave and Paul Allen, offspring of folk musician parents and raiders of their record collection, aren't shy about revealing their love of Sixties/Seventies West Coast sounds. As vocal harmonisers and, respectively, guitarist and bassist of the quartet Hal, they've crafted a charming and disarming debut, which conveys their mastery of sun-baked manners but never merely copies. There's a real joie de vivre to these songs, strong and seductive enough to be both original and timeless.

Total word count of piece: 357

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