Reviews
Artist:Hollow Coves Album: Nothing To Lose
Label: Nettwerk
Tracks: 11
Website: https://www.thehollowcoves.com/
An Australian indie folk duo from Queensland made up of Ryan Henderson and Matt Cairns, this is their second album, following on from a 2019 debut and their third EP in 2021. Largely strummed or fingerpicked acoustic poppy numbers with a catchy chorus, their harmonies cast them in the area as Darlingside or UK duo Memorial with those occasional shades of S&G. Their way with an infectious melody is established from the start with the walking rhythm rolling train chugging rhythm of 'Nothing To Lose' succinctly summed up in the opening line "I'm ready to let go of the things that I can't control/I wanna embrace what happens and just go with the flow" as they sing "If you go into the fire and come out alive/You've already won the fight" and "Who knew we could gain so much, just by letting go", which also happens to be the title of the gently picked and softly crooned following track and is, as you might assume, about moving on, even if involves going back home and starting over.
Again with a rolling wheels rhythm that almost verges on the motorik, 'Milk And Honey' follows a similar thematic trajectory ("Lately we're seeing the same things/Running in circles day after day/Waiting but nothing is changing… Sometimes we stop at the green lights if only we'd realise that it's time to go") and realising that "life is more than making money".
Built around piano and a skipalong percussive rhythm, 'Photographs' is, in an era of instant digital selfies, a homage to the increasingly lost art of taking photos and framing them or keeping them as memories in an album, and a tribute to Cairns' mother who always kept one. Another with a bustling beat, 'Harder To Fake It' is a call to walk to the tune of your own drum rather than following the crowd just so you can fit in, the pace slowing for the piano and strummed sway of 'Let's Go' and another encouragement to live life to the full.
The only track not mentioned in the notes, the echoingly sung 'Purple' has a throwback feel to dreamy 70s pop psychedelia and, perhaps, hints of the formative Bee Gees, returning to intricate folksy picking and scampering rhythm with 'On The Way' about trusting in yourself and, as the song says, taking the first step and finding your feet on the way. The irrepressible optimism that runs throughout its well-encapsulated in the pastoral circular guitar pattern of 'Be Alright' which, with distant hints of 'Feeling Groovy', serves to remind that the sun will always rise on a new day with new possibilities.
On the other hand, they album's penultimate track, the chiming guitars and tumbling chords of 'Fact Or Fiction', takes on a social commentary about a world of division and intolerance where the news always seems to come with at least two sides to a story, knee-jerk responses rather than reasoned research as they sing "It feels like we're always losing sight of what matters most in this life" and the need to come together rather than push apart. You might hear some Crowded House echoes here.
It ends with a parting glass raised in 'See You Soon', the most obvious nod to Simon & Garfunkel, in a song about time shared with someone, a lover, a friend, a workmate, coming to a close and going separate ways, but still holding the memories, here a gentle nudge to reconnect with those you've lost touch with.
Described in one review as celebrating the healing power of simplicity, finding beauty and meaning in the everyday and savouring the moment, the duo have been standing on the brink of international acclaim; this should hopefully tip them over the edge.
Mike Davies
| Previous | Next |
|---|---|
| Lina: Fado Camoes | Hello Darlins: The Alders & The Ashes |
Recent Reviews
- The Clarkes And Co:Save the Pangolin and Nine Other Love Stories
- Surrender Hill:Wild Country
- Simon Kempston:A Poet Or A Painter
- Kate MacLeod's Mind The Gap:Home Brewed
- Jason McNiff:10 Blue Songs
- Greg Hancock:Words Of Wisdom
- Chris Clark:Across A Carnival
- Adam Beattie:Home Fires Burning
- sundayclub:sundayclub
- The Lost Notes:Live At Symphony Hall
Photographs
Fatea Showcase Sessions
The Fatea Showcase Sessions are a series of downloads featuring acts that we've really enjoyed and think that more people should get the chance to hear.
Pirate is the current session and features 16 fantastic artists check out the website to find out more about them and download your copy
www.fatea-showcase-sessions.co.uk for all the artist information.