The music of Hollow Everdaze is not going to set the world on fire but it will certainly please fans of a certain strain of indie-pop, myself included. The new album, Cartoons, is out on Deaf Ambitions on Friday and I'm here to clue you in to the charms of this record.
If "Still Ticking" swoons with a sort of Travis-like melodic-ism, the more languid "Poisoned By Nostalgia" adds a faint alt-country twang to the sound being refined by the group here. If "Out Your Window" reveals an approach that could best be described as a nod in the direction of I Am Kloot, or early Alfie, then the fine title cut finds inspiration in more recent U.K. bands (Childhood, Temples). Elsewhere, the superb "Never Going Back" blends a nice Sixties chamber pop-mood with some fuzzy guitars to create something poised perilously close to both The Left Banke and The La's. It is a very good track and one of the many standouts here, along with the sleek string-laced "Running Away" and the chiming "Same Old Story", all pre-disco Bee Gees hooks stretched out and given breathing room.
Drawing from inspirations as disparate as mid-period Radiohead, Beulah, The Bluetones, and even The Pernice Brothers, Hollow Everdaze make perfectly serviceable modern indie of the sort that very nearly rises to the realm of greatness in certain moments. This Australian band is now one of the acts on my radar and I'd urge you to pay attention to them too.
Cartoons by Hollow Everdaze is out on Friday via Deaf Ambitions. Follow the band via their official Facebook page.
[Photo: Matt Neumann]