Half Past Four – “Rabbit in the Vestibule” (2008)

Independent Release

Review by Tony Cannella

Toronto, Canada’s Half Past Four had me instantly intrigued with their 2008 debut platter “Rabbit In The Vestibule”. The band is described as art/prog rock and that description sounds good to me. Musically, there is a lot going on with “Rabbit In The Vestibule” that musicians and non-musicians alike will come to love. Half Past Four takes influence from such legendary acts as King Crimson, Jethro Tull and Frank Zappa and proceeds to add their own special twist. For me, the track that most stands out is the musically monumental 8-minute “Biel”. Other highlights include: “Missing Sevenths”, “Johnny”, the instrumental “Lullaby” and album closer “Rabbit”.  Half Past Four also display a level of quirkiness, like on the track “Dwayne” as well. It is rare that you hear a band like Half Past Four these days, their sound and style for 2010 – and into 2011 is pretty unique. Obviously, Half Past Four may not appeal to everyone but if your tastes are a little bit on the adventurous side and enjoy music where talent goes hand-in-hand with quality, than “Rabbit In The Vestibule” is a pretty good bet.