Holowpaw a five piece indie-folk/country band from Gainesville, Florida.
Led by John Orth who is best know from Ugly Casanova, Modest Mouse's, front man, Issac Brock's colorful side project.
Holopaw consists of John Orth on vocals, Jeff Hays on guitars, pedal steel, backing vox, Tobi Echevarria on bass, Ryan Gensemer on the keys, and Michael Johnson keeping the beat as well as producing loops and backing vox.
This ten track self titled release on Subpop Records, is a mid-tempo southern influenced album, in the vain of label mate and fellow Floridan Iron & Wine.
The album starts of with 'Abraham Lincon' with desperate vocals and some lightly strummed folk gutairs, mandolins, Pedal Steel guitars and some tastefully placed electronic blips and beats.
Songs Like 'Igloo Glass,' (feaurting guest vox by Issac Brock) 'Short Wave Hum,'Pony Apperhension,' and 'Mammoth Cave' take a traditional southern folk styled feel.
'Hoover' takes and interesting spin with a fuller sound using synths, drum and bass bringing on a country sounding electronica Air type feel. Orth sings 'Hoover, why are you holding back the lake? . . . for the fancy tails that swim the gentle arc?'
'Hula-la' uses a solid bass line, strong dreamy vocals against a sparse guitars shimmers and lightly tapped drums.
'Cinders' a gentle downbeat groove, which could easily fall onto a Sparklehorse albuw8YWd> using trumpet, eirie background noises against a tight bass and drums jam, which explodes into a climatic ending.
The CD has beautiful packaging influeced by Independent Projects. The booklet has die-cut circles, complete with a illustrated lyric book.
If the alt- folk/country is the thing like, Holopaw are sure to please. |