Sometimes you can find some real gems when you look off the beaten path for new music artists. Holopaw is a band that I would definitely classify as well off that beaten path. I mean, they're a predominately a alt-country/folk band from Florida. And while that musical style doesn't seem to match up to the region they're from, I've learned to look past that and never judge a band on some trivial facts such as those above. The band's best known member is definately lead singer John Orth, as he teamed up with Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock and a few other musicians to form Ugly Casanova and release an album and EP. Orth's voice on Ugly Casanova's works was enough to get me to track down and buy Holopaw's two currently released records.
Similar to the songs Orth co-wrote on Ug Casanova's album, Holopaw has a alt-country sound, not too dissimilar and closest comparable to Wilco/Uncle Tupalo. Their instrumental arrangments are often sparse, minimalist, and atmospheric, while Orth's somewhat high-pitched, twangy, ghostly vocals prevail over everything. That's not to take away anything from the instrumental performances, as they add the character and style to the music. Drums are only featured in a few songs, and guitars and other stringed instruments such as mandolins find their way into the music much more often.
The album's opening track, Abraham Lincoln, sounds like your standard alt-country/folk opening, but the chorus really makes it stand out. Orth's delivery on the line "pale green light, vibrates across the Abraham Lincoln," is perfect, and the lyrics are clever to boot. Instead of singing about the emancipator, Holopaw managed to fit a war reference into their words. That's followed by the best and most ambitious song of the record, Igloo Glass. It is the quickest paced song Holopaw has on either of their albums, and has a brilliant, jumpy instrumental sound created by guitars and mandolins. Like usual, Orth's outstanding vocals just complete the package.
While none of the remainder of the eight tracks are quite as impressive as the first two, the remaining cuts are still very solid and varied. That's what makes this album so impressive to me, is it stays varied and interesting, never falling into the clutches of repetitiveness. Of course, among the rest there are standouts, Hoover, Short-Wave-Hum (Stutter), and Took It For A Twinkle being those, but every song is very listenable and the disk has much replay value. I also recommend wearing headphones while listening to this CD, as some of the more subtle elements of Holopaw's sound can be lost listing though speakers. The only song I find less than exceptional is Cinders, which features some horns and brass instruments, which I think doesn't quite fit with their sound.
Final Thoughts
Holopaw's self titled debut is an excellent introduction to this band's skill and style. Is it a classic? No, but it's a very well put together collection of songs that would be perfect for a fan of a band like Wilco. The vocals and instrumentals are top-notch, making for a very good alt-country/folk record.
Abraham Lincoln - **** Igloo Glass - ***** Hoover - **** Short-Wave-Hum (Stutter) - **** Hula-La - **** Pony Apprehension - **** Took It For A Twinkle - **** Teacup Woozy - **** Cinders - *** Mammoth Cave - ****
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