7/10

Apart from being one of the hardest acts to Google, Philippines-based singer/songwriter Chuck Gonzales aka Hong Kong is proving himself to be one of the most interesting and underrated musicians in the world today. With the release of his debut album 'High Noon' brilliantly conveying his sombre approach to production yet still holding onto an uplifting undertone to his songwriting, this new album has given a fresh sound to an otherwise over-glossed musical culture and helps realise that good music needn't be judged purely on the style of the record.

'High Noon' has this overarching method where Gonzales has paid just as much attention to the background atmosphere as he has to the music he has written. Every track sits within this dome of distortion that makes it seems like he recorded it in a hut next to a busy motorway. It gives the whole album a very enclosed feel and helps you picture him sitting there and playing to you live. While it may be a very minimal record, the upbeat tempo gives his music a more danceable feel and has that slight reminiscence of an early Arcade Fire about it.

In all, this is a beautifully conceived introduction to Hong Kong and while the record may not give the greatest variety in its pace or songwriting, it certainly gives him room to develop and grow his sound into a more diverse sensibility.