I’ve never written an album review before. Apart from not knowing how, I’ve never felt the need. Most of what I listen to is well-known by the masses. Do you need to hear my take on a Pearl Jam album? No. Beastie Boys? No. Foo Fighters? Again, no. But Hollerado? Who-the-what-now?
This Ottawa-based band likely isn’t known to many people outside of Canada. That’s okay. They’re relatively new, and they’re paying their dues in bars and clubs for now. They’ll get there in time.
The odd thing about Hollerado is that their debut album, Record In a Bag, doesn’t sound like it comes from a new band. Despite the incredible amount of fun the band is clearly having, it’s a mature album in terms of song quality and production values.
If I had to compare their sound to well-known bands, I’d say it’s a combination of Weezer and OK Go. But I don’t have to, so I won’t.
Record In a Bag (the bonus track version) consists of 13 tracks. Here they are:
1. “Hollerado Land (By Sam)”
As an introduction to an album and a band, this hits the right notes. It’s a silly song. One guy with an acoustic guitar. At 1:34, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, but it sets the stage for an album that doesn’t take itself too seriously, as further evidenced by the title of the first “real” song on the album:
2. “Do the Doot Da Doot Do”
Cue feedback, cue drums, here we go. High-energy, bouncy, jaunty – this is going to be fun. Clearly, these guys want to let their listeners know that we’re in for a ride.
3. “Juliette”
This was my introduction to the band. Very poppy, but deceivingly well-written despite that. It’s a love story of sorts. Young man meets older woman. She educates him on life. He looks back fondly. Really catchy tune.
4. “Fake Drugs”
Let’s take it down a notch. After a couple of fairly fast-paced rock songs, Fake Drugs brings some heavy bass to the mix. It would be criminal for this song not to make it into a movie as background music at some point. It’s that type of song.
5. “Reno Chunk”
Not really a “song,” per se, this is four lines over 10-seconds. It’s almost like a forgotten refrain for the next track.
6. “Americanarama”
We get back to the high-energy, fun rock here with a song about the U.S. falling from grace. It’s not at all about taking shots at the States. It’s more of a “Hey guys, remember all those great things about your country? What happened?” The video is incredible, and was, apparently, shot in one take.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whv1tLqKZig
7. “On My Own”
Wait…what just happened? Is this…country? No, no quite. But it’s close. This is the first song to really showcase the band’s harmonizing skills. Really well done. Subtle, but effective. Can you subtly showcase something? Apparently. Anyway, it’s this song that really makes you stop and think about the quality of the album. It’s easy to let the first half become background music. It’s just so easy to listen to. But then you realize that it’s so easy to listen to because it’s so well done.
8. “Got to Lose”
Oh, COME. ON. An organ transition from the end of “On My Own” into this? More harmonizing in the intro? Gives me chills every time. Then, the drums and guitar kick in, and we’re back into rock. Not heavy. Not fast-paced. But definitely rock.
9. “Hard Love”
Back to a more country vibe here. Still not country, but country-ish. Bluesy, too. Yeah, that’s it. It’s bluesy. Definitely more blues than country. But still rock.
10. “Riverside”
More bouncy pop now. A nice reminder after three pretty serious songs that Hollerado is a fun band having fun making fun music. Also, more “do do dos”. Good times.
11. “Walking On the Sea”
This song lives in my head. I often find myself singing it for no apparent reason. Catchy guitar, nice drums, great tune. Also, whistling outro. Can’t beat that.
12. “What’s Everybody Running For? Part II”
A Canadian drinking song. (And yes, we do have other kinds.) Rolling drums, loads of harmonizing. “How far to the town/Where a bar can be found?” Pure fun.
13. “Get Loose” (Bonus Track)
Not sure why this didn’t make the original cut. It’s every bit as god as the rest of the album. A nice, mellow way to finish off a 45-minute listen.
These guys definitely have some tricks up their sleeves, and they use them to great effect. Stuff like “Reno Chunk” and the transition from “On My Own” to “Got to Lose” make this an album, rather than a collection of singles. It’s clear that great care was taken in writing and building this album as a whole. Every piece belongs in the spot it occupies. There are no jarring shifts in style or tempo or quality.
If you like things that are awesome, do yourself (and a band that’s just getting started) a favour, and pick up Hollerado’s Record In a Bag on iTunes. It’s $9.99, which is a bargain.
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