After an eight-year absence, Tiles guitarist and songwriter Chris Herin arrives with the debut solo album under the Herin moniker, titled Hiding In Plain Sight, now confirmed for November release through The Laser’s Edge, who today unveils the album’s cover art, tracklisting, pre-orders, and lead single/video, "The Darkest Hour".
A conceptual work recounting Chris Herin’s difficult walk alongside his father’s ten-year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, Herin’s Hiding In Plain Sight combines distinctive prog and art rock influences that alternate from sophisticated orchestral arrangements and polyrhythmic complexity to contrasting cinematic soundscapes and ambitious guitar workouts.
Teaming up with Herin are renowned producer Terry Brown (Rush) and Grammy award winning mastering engineer Peter Moore (Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell) who give Hiding In Plain Sight a luxurious and dynamic sonic landscape. For the attentive and patient music enthusiast each listen gradually reveals the album’s cache of nuanced and subtle details. Complementing the reflective and occasionally disquieting lyrics is Hugh Syme’s (Rush) whimsical and engaging imagery, the artwork capturing the album’s sensibilities of time and place for a compelling and enigmatic visual counterpart.
Hiding In Plain Sight is a collection of thoughtful observations and somber meditations while Herin sidestepped through the debris field and collateral damage of the growing Alzheimer’s storm. Eleven watershed moments that echo the fragile impermanence of life and encourage the listener to turn inward in sympathetic introspection. Musical adventure abounds as sprawling vocal hooks glide over angular riffs, richly textured instrumentation, and brooding ambient orchestrations. Abundant prog filigree adorns the album and is well-represented in the album’s lead single and advance video for "The Darkest Hour", a standout track featuring odd meter gymnastics, an army of guitars, and intricate percussion, and is especially notable for boasting members of the classic Jethro Tull line up joining forces for the first time in over twelve years.
Lending their exceptional talents to Hiding In Plain Sight is an impressive cast of nearly thirty musicians, including Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame members Peter Frampton and Alex Lifeson (Rush), plus Martin Barre, John O’Hara, and Doane Perry (Jethro Tull), Michael Sadler (Saga), Kim Mitchell (Max Webster), Cody Bowles and Kevin Comeau (Crown Lands), Jeff Kollman and Shane Gaalaas (Cosmosquad), Tim Bowness (No-Man), Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree), Randy McStine (Porcupine Tree), Kevin Chown (Tarja, Chad Smith), Matthew Parmenter (Discipline), Hugh Syme, Johnathan Blake (Kenny Barron), Ben Riley (Mohsen Namjoo), Gary Craig (Bruce Cockburn), and many more.
Chris Herin proclaims with the album’s announcement, “I’m honored to have worked with so many talented musicians and to witness these songs take shape under Terry’s watchful eye and unfailing ear. His meticulous care and artistic commitment meant the unique characteristics of each performance influenced the music’s evolution and identity. I thank everyone involved for their distinctive contributions and for helping create a unified spirit of purpose in honor for those afflicted and affected by dementia. A portion of this album’s proceeds will be donated to Alzheimer’s charities.”
Embracing a prog-rock spirit that appeals to both the heart and mind, Hiding In Plain Sight is a bold and adventurous fusion of musical palettes as the distinguished roster of guest artists propel Herin’s songs into inspired and expansive directions.
Hiding In Plain Sight’s second song, “The Darkest Hour,” serves as the lead single for the album. The song features Jethro Tull alums guitarist Martin Barre and drummer Doane Perry together again for the first time since 2011, and features vocals by Mark Mikel, who has also played with Jethro Tull as well as Alan Parsons and more. The song arrives in the form of a video by Mathew Kennedy, who created multiple videos for the album.
Chris Herin states of the song, “Doane and I had several conversations about Alzheimer’s since his father also suffered from the disease and he is quite versed in many of the medical complexities. He liked the song (even in its embryonic form), so I sent him a chart to outline the structure and identify a few meter twists and turns. He enthusiastically experimented and developed a great groove for the drum track with meticulously layered percussion – all which propel the song with muscular polyrhythms. Likewise, Martin enthused about playing with Doane again and contributed mandolin, flute, rhythm guitar enhancements, and of course his trademark soloing. If you listen closely, I’m sure you’ll get a chuckle out of the playful reference to that well-known JT tune from 1969. Martin and Doane definitely bring a powerful and identifiable energy to the track.”
Watch Herin’s “The Darkest Hour” video below, and stream the song at Bandcamp here.
Hiding In Plain Sight will be presented in a limited full-color digipack CD including a 8-page booklet and digitally on November 1.
Pre-orders are available at The Laser’s Edge webshop here and Bandcamp – the standard digital here and the 24 bit hi-res here.
Watch for additional videos from the album to be issued over the months building up to its release.
Hiding In Plain Sight tracklisting:
"Warning Signs"
"The Darkest Hour"
"Living In The Night"
"The Heart Of You"
"Secret Adversary"
"A Wrinkle In Time"
"Second Ending"
"Safe House (Isolation)"
"Slow To Crumble"
"Wilderness Years"
"White Dandelions"
"The Darkest Hour" video:
(Photos by Matthew Parmenter and Hugh Syme)
