Hollows: Vulture
Counting critical favorites like Ty Segall and Charlie and the Moonhearts among their bands, Trouble in Mind Records, the buzzy upstart label from Chicago, seem to curate their line-up with great care. While all the bands have a sound that references a bygone era, none sound contrived or gimmicky. Vulture from Hollows, also from Chicago, is no exception and can be counted as one more reason why Trouble In Mind is worthy of the praise it garners. Like a punchier version of the Shangri-las, Hollows take girl-group charm and fuse it with a punk enthusiasm; not angry, but urgent. Listeners who appreciate Best Coast, will find similarities in Hollows. Hollows, however, seem to employ the tropes of garage pop for the sole purpose of turning those tropes inside out, keeping one foot out of step at all times. Employing the upbeat percussion standard to garage pop music throughout, Hollows will gleefully shatter their own cool with a tin whistle or an organ drone that is just off in some subtly indescribable way. And while their may be wistful ex-boyfriend longings, they are ultimately truncated by a mandate for independence. “Sometimes you gotta be alone to make yourself better, ” vocalist Maria Jenkins sings on “Sunset Lullaby”, an album highlight, following it with the impassioned instruction of “just don’t say I’m a waste of your time.” With sun-drenched harmonies awash in boardwalk organ warble, V is for Vulture superbly evokes the summertime ethos of running ragged to catch every stray ray. And like summer, the album is short, clocking in at just over half an hour. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Rating: 8.5/10
MP3: Hollows “V is for Vulture”
Buy: iTunes or Insound! vinyl
Hollows: Vulture
