CD Odyssey Disc 1960: Bleached

Today we explore the bittersweet experience of what is likely a band’s last album. Technically this band is still active, but it has been seven years since their last full LP so hope is getting slim. Nevertheless, let’s live in the moment, where that moment is 2019.

Disc 1960 is…Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough

Artist: Bleached

Year of Release: 2019

What’s up with the Cover? The ladies of Bleached looking sassy and dangerous. Likely ready for a party, although as this record explores, partying doesn’t always end well…

How I Came To Know It: I was already a Bleached fan through their first two albums. This was just me exploring their latest offering.

How It Stacks Up: I have three Bleached albums, which is all of them. Of those, “Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough” comes in at #2, with a surprise nudging of “Ride Your Heart” in the process.

And since this is the final album in my collection here’s a recap:

1. Welcome the Worms: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 1218)
2. Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough: 3 stars (reviewed right here)
3. Ride Your Heart: 3 stars (reviewed at Disc 971)

Ratings: 3 stars but almost 4

“Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough” sees sisters Jennifer and Jessica Clavin departing from their earlier fuzzy pop/punk sound toward a cleaner more pop-forward production. It isn’t bad, it’s just evolution. Bands are allowed to do that. If you miss the grittier sound of their previous two records, I have good news for you – both remain available and recorded.

The new sound has them much more aligned to Canadian band the Beaches. Like the Beaches’ Jordan Miller, Jennifer Clavin has a natural rock vocal, not as rich and deep as Miller, but featuring the same combination of rock star and playful pop icon. It had me thinking that the two bands would make a very good 1-2 punch on tour.

Bleached retains their traditional base of garage punk and Go-Gos/Shangri-Las fun on “Don’t You Think…” but also branch out into new territory. On previous reviews I noted their obvious love for Blondie, and that is again evident here, but it is more the later disco-adjacent Blondie. “Hard to Kill” in particular had me thinking of “Heart of Glass”. It isn’t a copy, just an homage, and they take the basic rolling disco rhythm in new directions that results in one of the better songs on the record.

Like a lot of the songs on “Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough”, “Hard to Kill” explores unhealthy choices and struggles with sobriety in a way that feels on the surface like a party song, but on a closer listen reveals a darkness. There’s a price to be paid when you party this hard, and the record is a retrospective of excess and – not infrequently – regret.

We get a lot more of this as the record progresses, with most of the typical outcomes from an unhealthy relationship with drugs and/or alcohol: bad relationships, betrayed friends, calls to 911, and the inevitable apologies that are part of recovery. It’s been done many times by many rock and rollers before, but that doesn’t take anything away from Bleached, who approach the topic with unabashed honesty and a healthy dose of uncertainty of what comes next.

The album features plenty of pop record tricks, like hand claps and whistles all of which have been deployed on various records throughout the years for one reason: it works. True to form, these little flourishes add colour and texture to songs that aren’t complicated in construction and lend themselves to different treatments. There were a couple of places where one too many tricks and instrumental shifts had me feeling fidgety, but mostly I liked it even when it went too far.

Bleached have a natural ability to write a pop hook, and I admire that they add in elements of doo wop, disco and punk wherever they damned well feel to make it more interesting. There was a part of me that kept thinking other Bleached fans might balk at the adjustments, but I had no problem with the evolution of their sound. It didn’t make their sound any more innovative –likely it made it less so – but it generated a lot of novel approaches to songs that, in their bones, are just solid pop hits that deserve to show off a little.

Best tracks: Hard to Kill, I Get What I Need, Somebody Dial 911, Rebound City, Valley to LA

CD Odyssey Disc 1959: Einherjer

It seems like every time I roll a record by this next band fate has me taking a long drive. Last time it was “Norron” reviewed back in June when I went to Sidney to go shopping and this time once again out to Sidney, but this time to the airport. Maybe listening to Viking metal dares the universe to send you on a journey, although neither of mine involved sailing in a longship or looting a monastery.

Disc 1959 is…Dragons of the North XX

Artist: Einherjer

Year of Release: 2016 (remake of the 1996 record “Dragons of the North”)

What’s up with the Cover? A depiction of a carved figurehead, presumably on the front of a Viking longship because, well, that’s where they go.

Why did Vikings adorn the front of their ships with these carvings? Presumably because they are scary and to show they meant business.

How I Came To Know It: This is part of the “Ross Records” collection that I got from my buddy Ross when he left CD technology behind. I secured a whole bunch of Einherjer records at the time. Thanks, Ross!

How It Stacks Up: I have four Einherjer albums, and I like them all. I think “Dragons of the North XX” is my favourite, but then I don’t own the original “Dragons of the North” from 1996 and it is pretty great.

Ratings: 4 stars

I don’t know what possessed Einjerjer to re-record their entire 1996 classic folk/Viking metal album “Dragons of the North” twenty years later. I suppose if you make such a classic record in the genre there’s no harm in making it twice. As for me, I like this record plenty – both times in fact.

The two biggest differences you will encounter is the XX version leans a bit further into metal and away from folk than its predecessor and the vocals of Rune Bjelland and Audun Wold are replaced by guitarist and singer Frode Glesnes. I’m not sure who I prefer better, but Frode is the voice I know on all my other Einherjer records and I like the sound of him.

Glesnes will not blow the doors off any singing contest, but he delivers the melodic rasp and a sinister tone that these songs require. The lyrics – which are almost universally about groups of Vikings killing and plundering about the place, or the perspective of an individual Viking doing the same thing.

The title track leads us off with a folksy guitar riff and the heavy thump of long-time drummer Gerhard Storesund (aka Ulvar) setting the stage. The song is notably heavier and crunchier than the 1996 version, with the ominous pounding of Storesund’s reminding me favourably of Black Sabbath’s Bill Ward. The song has a pulse to it that makes you feel the pull of the oars of a Viking longship as it climbs its way up a river in search of the aforenoted killing and plundering.

The album’s other standout is “Forever Empire” which has the same dread-filled heaviness to it, offset by the record’s best guitar solos. While a few of the lesser solos on “Dragons…” feel uninspired, there are more than a few that pull you in with both tone and construction. They also provide a good foil to the drum-heavy groove. The combo is like the flashes of sword and human struggle that punctuate the moment when the rowing stops and the fighting starts.

Lyrically the stories aren’t always clear, but there is a common thread of mania to the characters Frode gives voice to. These characters are warlord conquerors; an occupation that doesn’t lend itself to humility and circumspection. I have a friend who likes to remind me that with their “if you die while fighting you go to Valhalla” mythology Vikings were essentially a death cult, and Einherjer – a band that is literally named after those dead warriors feasting in Odin’s hall – double down on the mindset that would create.

The result is music that transports you to the nexus of menace, dread, and glory, which is entirely appropriate to the subject matter. Listening to “Dragons of the North XX” is a modern sonic experience that interprets the manic exhilaration of the raiders, and by extension I also found myself contemplating the terror of seeing these raiders inexorably advancing up a river to your town.

Capturing both those experiences across a thousand years of history on a modern heavy metal record is an impressive feat. Making that same record resonate essentially twice twenty years apart even more so.

Best tracks: Dragons of the North, Forever Empire, Slaget Ved Hafrsfjord

CD Odyssey Disc 1958: Katy Kirby

Blue Raspberry is one of my favourite “drink” flavours but I always feel that raspberry gets short-changed on the use of red, which is reserved for strawberry (light red) and cherry (dark red). This record has very little to do with drink flavours, but I just had to get that off my chest.

Disc 1958 is…Blue Raspberry

Artist: Katy Kirby

Year of Release: 2024

What’s up with the Cover? Katy (assuming the brunette is Katy) and another person engage in some sort of embrace. Maybe they’re wrestling, maybe Katy is rescuing them from drowning or maybe it is a more amorous adventure. Whether it is sport, a rescue or sex, based on the sun-dappled water it looks like the weather is cooperating. Way easier to do all those things when the waves aren’t too big.

How I Came To Know It: I was already a fan of Kirby having encountered her through her 2021 debut, “Cool Dry Place” (reviewed back at Disc 1726). When I saw she had a new album out a couple of years ago I checked it out and liked what I heard.

How It Stacks Up: Kirby only has two full length records, and if you’re following along you’ll know that I have both of them. Of the two I enjoyed “Blue Raspberry” slightly more, so it is…#1.

Ratings: 4 stars

Katy Kirby has a languid style to her brand of indie pop that leaves you feeling relaxed and ready to see the world in a fresh and unhurried way. This is a record to both relax you musically, while throwing in just enough unexpected imagery that your mind is active and searching for the next line. Also, it’s very sexy.

Kirby’s high sweet vocals shows a lot of range in songs that are all sweet and introspective, but surprisingly variable in how they approach a melody. This record keeps your groove engaged throughout,

The opening track, “Redemption Arc” is even a bit off-brand, sung in her lower register, with a lurching minor key lilt that had me favourably comparing the approach to “Bachelor No. 2” era Aimee Mann. Unlike early Mann, Kirby is a bit more romantic than fatalist, and “Redemption Arc” is an apology song that is more focused on the comfort of making up than the apology itself. You get the sense that all is forgiven without any words spoken, but the words are welcomed all the same.

The record launches into Kirby’s more familiar high head voice on “Cubic Zirconia” which also oozes with a relaxed romanticism that permeates the record. Not content to rely on the record’s catchiest melody and a delightful birdsong phrasing, Kirby throws in some top-tier imagery. Best stanza:

“Face framed by hoodie like an oyster in a shell
And your eyes are rolling at me as a pair of angry pearls
You're the prettiest mermaid in the souvenir shop
But if you're coming home this late
You know you'd better be drunk”

Not something typically wished for, but there is a strong current of sexy that flows through this record that makes even a drunken homecoming feel like a fairy tale. Readers please note: this outcome is rarely the case and only works for the absolutely prettiest mermaids. If you're a merman, just forget about it entirely. Take off your shoes quietly in the hall and sleep on the couch.

But I digress.

“Wait Listen” has a song construction that is reminiscent of Leonard Cohen, both in terms of how the song builds the story as well as the mix of the tender and the bawdy poetry of a memorable hook up.

That ribbon of lyrical sexuality twists like a ribbon through the entirety of “Blue Raspberry” taking a record that could fall into its own introspection and instead making each song a sensual confession.

Kirby re-examines imagery used in earlier songs throughout the record, trying concepts out from different angles like the facets of the fake diamonds she references early on. She will return to the image of the cubic zirconia on “Salt Crystal” along with pearls (now in the mouth not the eyes), and the erotic nature of a well-placed bite (earlier featured in the amorous adventures of “Wait Listen”). Then, as your mind skips along with the sweetness of the melody, Kirby pulls it all together in a golden hour moment with:

“The rhinestones on your baseball cap reminding me of when
The salt left crystal on the sunset of your sunburned skin”

The best part of it all is that with its slow and relaxed style, this clever construction of image upon image slips into your mind slowly, like a cool summer breeze through an open window – invisible but alive on your skin.

Some albums hit you hard and early, but “Blue Raspberry” is a slow build that steals inside of you with a quiet beauty. It might take a few listens to catch everything that’s going on, but it’s worth the effort.

Best tracks: Redemption Arc, Cubic Zirconia, Wait Listen, Salt Crystal

CD Odyssey Disc 1957: The Hives

When you’re a kid you might say “let’s pretend” to get your playmates to buy in to some imagined world. As a teenager it morphs to “let’s say” and as adults we try to pull off the sophistry of “I think we can all agree” without anyone noticing.

Here on the CD Odyssey we don’t do any of that. It’s just one person’s musical observations (mine) and you can agree as much or as little as you like.

Disc 1957 is…The Hives Forever Forever the Hives

Artist: The Hives

Year of Release: 2025

What’s up with the Cover? The Hives dressed up as a quintette of kings (which would be a good name for a band).

When I was younger I belonged to a medieval re-enactment group. I was a 15^th century pirate with a penchant for purple, which some of the more ardent re-creationists felt was an affront to the king.

It was good fun and I was mostly left unaccosted unless I crossed too close in front of the throne (occupied or not) and made it even more of a thing.

If the Hives tried to cosplay these particular outfits there would definitely be some accosting. Of the fun kind, though. Less fun if they were actually trying to pull this off in the actual 15^th century, where it would have led to five very serious and immediate beheadings.

How I Came To Know It: I read a review and overcame that common bias we experience when we know a band has been around for a while and assume that if we were going to like them it would’ve happened by now. Instead I gave it a go and…here we are.

How It Stacks Up: The Hives have a bunch of records but so far this is my only one, so it can’t stack up.

Ratings: 3 stars

Sometimes when you see a bunch of soccer hooligans marching toward a stadium and chanting I think to myself “what do these guys listen to pre-game to get themselves into a good lather?” “The Hives Forever Forever the Hives” feels like a strong contender. More on this later.

“The Hives Forever, etc.” are what I would call “straight rock and roll, no chaser”. This is the pure stuff. Not particularly creative, nor innovative but just good old fashioned guitar riffs and up-tempo bangers. Good for driving fast, toasting your buddies, or maybe fisticuffs. I like the first two of those things (n.b. not at the same time) and that generally supportive but not all-in approach is how I’d characterize my reaction to this record.

The Hives have a throwback British punk scene sound, with beats that lean forward and guitar chords that crash with frenetic energy. I was surprised to learn they are actually from Sweden. Not exactly a Stefan Edberg “talented but genteel” vibe here.

Where they are Edberg-like is in the precision of their playing, which is top notch. These guys are tight in a way most bands dream about. It is all very fast and furious, but their skills give these songs a polish that most pop songs would envy.

The result is a lot of radio bangers that aren’t exceptionally creative but are a lot of fun. Not a complicated road course here, but they lean tight and fast into what corners there are. As for the riffs, at their best they are timeless perfection and at their worst they are “pretty sure I’ve heard this one before – but still like it”.

In terms of the lyrics, I found myself returning to the aforenoted hooligans (I told you we’d return). I would say that the Hives mostly sing about what can best be characterized as mindless rebellion; middle finger raised to the world (or two fingers in England) combined with recurring announcements exhorting you to party. I love to party, but the parties depicted here feel like the kind that start with friendly toasts and end with someone getting head-butted over something they said about Arsenal.

The opening lines of “Enough is Enough” are:

“Everyone's a little f**kin' bitch
And I am getting sick and tired of it
Went to the doctor 'cause I was sick
Sick of everybody's bulls**t”

And if that doesn’t sufficiently paint a picture, try the chorus from “Paint a Picture”:

“Oh, let me paint a picture
I ain't no f**king slob
Oh, let me paint a picture
More like a f**king god to you”

The chorus from “Paint a Picture” is delivered in unison barroom style that was tailor-made to be a soccer chant someday, if it isn’t already. It’s fun to sing along but it doesn’t exactly provide compelling metaphors or convincing oratory. Then again, it isn’t supposed to. It is supposed be mindless fun, and “The Hives Forever, etc…” is exactly that. Not in any way thought-provoking but a high-energy good time whether driving fast, partying hard, or just getting energized – ideally with no one getting punched.

Best tracks: Enough is Enough, Bad Call, Paint a Picture, Path of Most Resistance

CD Odyssey Disc 1956: The Monks

I’m fresh off an eventful long weekend that had a little bit of everything. There was even a power failure through most of Labour Day Monday. Growing up I experienced many a power failure, often in the winter and lasting several days. Given this, a few hours without TV on a sunny holiday Monday was no problem at all. I just caught up on some reading and set some time aside for a full and undivided listen to this next record.

Disc 1956 is…Suspended Animation

Artist: The Monks

Year of Release: 1981

What’s up with the Cover? The Monks only have two albums and both feature covers with women dressed up as nuns and showing a lot of leg.

Here we have a 'nun' apparently awakening from cryo-sleep (the “suspended animation” alluded to in the album title). Looks like she’s arrived at her destination based on the space station in the porthole window. We don't know how many light years have passed in her journey across space but fear not: simple black pumps never go out of style.

How I Came To Know It: I like the Monks’ first record “Bad Habits” and through that discovered they’d done a second. However, “Suspended Animation” was devilishly hard to find, suffering from low album sales and – I suspect - a limited release.

Eventually I found it on a double album set with both records and a whole bunch of bonus material called, “No Shame: The Complete Recordings”. That compilation’s album art is just the band standing around looking like early eighties mods.

Choosing between that and the long-limbed space traveler depicted on the original was a no-brainer.

How It Stacks Up: I have two Monks albums, which is all of them. Of the two “Suspended Animation” is the lesser record, so #2.

Ratings: 2 stars

Listening to “Suspended Animation” had me thinking that the Monks were a bunch of slackers. Very talented slackers. Their follow up to their much better debut record, the Monks seem prepared to dabble in various musical ideas like a bunch of cheeky dilettantes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it don’t.

The style of the record is mostly a New Wave/post punk feel that was of its time back at the turn from the seventies to the eighties. A bit Joe Jackson, a bit the Clash at the poppier end of their range, but mostly just a bunch of experienced English musicians taking the piss.

Like the Clash, there is a reggae influence on the record in places, and the Monks also seem determined to try to land some funky bass lines and guitar licks. It would work better if the songs weren’t so uniformly at the front of the beat. That’s the New Wave in them, and they consistently refuse to sit down in the pocket.

So you get songs like “Don’t Want No Reds” that could have been a semi-serious song about Cold War angst but instead feels like a funhouse vision of looming nuclear winter. The haste of the beat makes you think that the reds they are avoiding could just as easily be pharmaceuticals as Communist agents.

From there they uncork a wide array of topics, most of which more than live up to the compilation’s title of “No Shame”. Scheming evangelicals, BDSM enthusiasts, and eating disorders are just a few of the themes you will encounter. There’s a good chance if you listen to this record something will offend you but I’m not going to predict what, as it is a target-rich environment.

This being a “complete recordings” situation the original record’s 12 tracks are ‘augmented’ by eight bonus tracks, pushing the playing time to an unwieldy and tiring 75 minutes. I’d like to say they should have just cut all that content, but the truth is some of it is pretty solid, notably “Cybernetic Sister” which has the easy groove blended with what I think is someone exhorting the virtues of a sex-bot.

Through it all, the Monks know how to write a catchy pop hook. I imagine they take a bit of perverse pride in combining sing-a-long quality to lyrics that would likely get you kicked out of the local karaoke bar.

The final two bonus tracks, “Space Noises” and “Electric Shivers” remove all doubt about who the Monks are mocking. It’s everyone, and with these two instrumentals of weird special effects sounds their final victim is, in fact, the listener.

Sitting confused at the end of the long listening journey, and with the echoes of weird computer trills and metallic clangs bouncing in my head, I was not quite sure what to think. It is the musical equivalent of a Jimmy Carr concert; the catchy phrasing draws you in, you laugh at some parts and wince at others, and the next day you can’t even talk about what you heard in mixed company.

Was it all just performance art in the end? Probably yes.

Best tracks: Don’t Want No Reds, Suspended Animation, King Dong and from the bonus tracks: Cybernetic Sister

CD Odyssey Disc 1955: Mozart

Welcome back. Today we dive once again into a genre I know very little about, which is a bit surprising how long both it (and I) have been around. At least for once I’m younger than the composition I’m writing about.

Disc 1955 is…Requiem

Artist: Mozart but also some other bloke named Sussmayr

Year of Release: 1791 (recording is from 1989)

What’s up with the Cover? This cover could be metal as easily as Mozart, with a dope-as-fuck skeleton rocking a shroud. It’s got hands on chest like it plans to sing along to the tune, but without any lungs that’s not going to go well for him/her.

I expect this photo is in some church somewhere (maybe All Saints Church in Newcastle-on-Tyne, where this album is recorded) but I couldn’t find definitive proof of that.

We also learn from the cover that this bit of Mozart magic is coming to you from Northern Sinfonia, which sounds like the name of some magical kingdom in a fantasy novel but is, in fact, a symphony in England.

How I Came To Know It: I found this album in a thrift store in Sidney. Classical treasures on the cheap – yeehaw!

How It Stacks Up: I have five Mozart albums. Well, actually only four – I got rid of the Coronation Mass after I reviewed it back at Disc 736 but it got reviewed, so it gets stacked. Anyway, of those five, I put “Requiem” in at…#4.

Technically, this isn’t 100% Mozart, since his widow had it finished with the help of some dude named Franz Xaver Sussmayr after Mozart died. Sussmayr, I have since learned, was a bit of a thing back in his day but in 2026 not so much. Wikipedia quotes some 19^th century dude named Max Dies who says Sussmayr is “smooth, pleasing, singable, but generally fashionably superficial,” which throws some shade, but frankly sounds kind of alright.

But I digress.

Ratings: 4 stars

Ever want to feel like something very important is happening, but do it safely seated in your living room or car? Mozart’s “Requiem” has what you need. For a song that is supposed to be a mass for the dead, this little ditty from the late 18^th century is quite lively.

Being a mass there’s a bunch of choral singing, delivered delightfully by the aforementioned North Sinfonians. The lead soprano is Yvonne Kenny and while the overall recording of this record suffers from the low-end loss of many of the CDs manufactured in the late eighties, her powerful tone cuts through all attempts at diminishment.

As I noted in the lede, this record swells with import and bombast. It’s practically a Carmina Burana minus the gallop. It is best played loud and then – when you realize the quieter parts are getting lost in the thrum of the car engine – louder still.

Across 46 minutes of playing time (classical music fits rather perfectly on a standard record, which I doubt is coincidence), Mozart finds ways to bring the melodic structure of the piece to a climax multiple times, all the while never making it feel repetitious.

Kenny’s vocals slice through the top of the tune like a cavalry saber (again, minus the gallop), and down in the low end there is a grounding bass (a guy named Gwynne Howell) if that’s what floats your boat (or ballasts it). Cursory research reveals both these folks are a bit of a big deal in the opera world (Kenny moreso), but despite some honest effort, I’m not a fan of opera, so they’re new to me. Anyway, they sound great as does the whole chorus and orchestra.

In terms of the lyrics, you’d think a requiem for the dead would be a somber and majestic sort of affair, but once you translate the Latin you’re in for shock, as Mozart goes for a fire and brimstone approach that would be equally at home on a heavy metal record.

That’s right, my friends, in the late 18^th century a mass for the dead was an opportunity to remind listeners that HELL awaits any miserable unbeliever. We’ve got God sitting in judgment:

“Then the judge seats himself and tries;
No shifting from his all-seeing eyes
Nor ‘scaping then. Who e’er deserves it dies.”

Rather disconcerting. Later our narrator cries out to the “Dread King” for clemency (you can see why) and later still appeals for Christ to save the souls of the “faithfully departed from the hand of hell, and from the deep pit.”

The language of the piece is beautiful and while harsh and threatening at the front end, takes on a repentant and merciful tone as it unfolds. Also, it would make a great music video. Someone should do that.

But I digress.

The whole of “Requiem” is sung in Latin, but even without a translation, the piece has a rousing and metaphysical quality that appeals to something beyond the earthly. You will feel wrapped in the arms of both Death and that angels at the same time, which I am pretty sure what Mozart was going for.

On that note, there is a reason that even 235 years later certain composers are still part of our daily lives, musical soundtracks and (this week at least) commutes to work. It’s because they’re damned good at what they do. Even with the late intervention of an allegedly fashionably superficial composer, “Requiem” shows once again why Mozart endures.

Best tracks: Um…it may be divided into 12 tracks on the CD but this is one song. That’s how they did it back in the day…

CD Odyssey Disc 1954: The Watson Twins

Welcome back to the CD Odyssey where today we take a second dig into recently released Americana.

Disc 1954 is…Holler

Artist: The Watson Twins

Year of Release: 2023

What’s up with the Cover? Sisters Chandra and Leigh (aka the Watson Twins) strike a pose in front of a brick wall. Or possibly this is Leigh and Chandra. I can’t tell. They’re twins.

How I Came To Know It: I learned about the Watson Twins through their collaboration with Jenny Lewis on her debut album Rabbit Fur Coat in 2006 (which I’ve owned for almost twenty years but surprisingly have not rolled to review).

That record got me heavily into Jenny Lewis (and from there, Rilo Kiley) but I never paid the Watson Twins much mind. I bought one of their records in 2010 but it wasn’t until a few years back that I explored their discography in earnest.

That occurred because the local record store had a bunch of their records used and reasonably priced, and so I decided to see how they’d fared over all those years. Turns out there were a couple more good enough to buy, and “Holler” was one of ‘em.

How It Stacks Up: The Watson Twins have released six full length LPs, but I only have three. Of those three, I put “Holler” in at third (or last, if you are being pessimistic).

Ratings: 2 stars

There’s something about twins singing harmony that always sounds special, and the Watson Twins are no exception. While this gives this record a leg up overall the potential was never fully realized in the way I’d hoped.

With that ominous lede and those two stars hanging tarnished in the “ratings” category, you might be eagerly anticipating a whole lot of nasty in this review. If so, you’ll be disappointed. Overall, I enjoyed “Holler” which is a mainstream run at indie country/Americana performed with talent and care.

The vocals on the record have the aforementioned “twin” advantage, and both Watsons together have a rich tone and a talent for phrasing. There is very little solo singing on the record, and even where one sister is leading, there is heavy support. This is a team effort. I could’ve used a little more variation to the way they approached each song vocally, but it is a minor quibble.

They sound best on “Hundred Miles”, where the ladies benefit from a lilting melody, and yet another depiction of the dream of Nashville, deflected. In this case 100 miles in the wrong direction to a town called Crossville. I looked it up and sure enough, Crossville TN is a place – about 12,000 people strong. Likely a fine enough town, but less so if you are dreaming of the bright lights of Nashville like the song’s narrator.

In any event, the song showcases the Watson Twins’ vocals, which do not feature big range or power, but are surprisingly sweet for such a sad song.

“Hundred Miles” is a good song, but it also illustrates that for much of the record I found the vocals float a bit too much mid-range, in songs with workmanlike compositions that just don’t reach in and grab you like art should. The stereo hum of the two-part harmonies are soothing at first, but over the course of the record they left me wanting more, either in terms of a third voice, more solo work, or maybe just songs with more movement in their structure.

But let’s be positive again. I also liked “The Palace” which is a barroom anthem about the local watering hole. Lyrics like:

“Another night at The Palace
Pour me a double in the chalice
If you won't be my king, I'll wear the crown
This watering hole my home
This barstool is my throne
If we ain't making up, I'll throw 'em down”

Feel heavily inspired by the more famous “Queen of the Silver Dollar” of Dr. Hook or Emmylou Harris (depending on your preferred version) which begins with a similar:

“She's the queen of the Silver Dollar
And she rules this smoky kingdom
And her sceptre is a wineglass
And a barstool is her throne”

I like how “The Palace” puts an interesting twist on what is essentially the same scene, but from the queen’s perspective, not the viewers. Through her narrative we learn she’s out on the town because she’s angry with her no-good cheat of a boyfriend. At the Silver Dollar, the jesters flock around their queen and fight to win her favour. At the Palace, you know that any success they achieve is as much an expression of her vengeance as her interest.

“The Palace” and “Hundred Miles” are my two favourites, one for the storyline and one for the melody. There are other good tunes, including the title track, which is clearly intended to be an opening banger, but they didn’t cut quite so deep.

Not helping is very flat production across the record, which makes things sound distant and fuzzy on songs that would benefit from a bit more separation. There is a distinct alt-rock sound thrown into the arrangements but the songs are country tunes down in their bones, and the two vibes don’t always gel as intended.

There’s nothing on “Holler” that straight up irritated me, but there were just too few moments where I wanted to..er…holler. For this reason, I’m going to bid this record a fond farewell from my collection and wish it well in finding a better match than with me.

Best tracks: The Palace, Hundred Miles