Hollow Hand dropped a new record today, Wish Road South, and the album lands somewhere between the Velvet Underground and the modern melodies of Kurt Vile. The half century gap of influences makes the record feel like an instant present-day classic while holding a timeless quality that will hold its own for years to come.
Wish Road South is a marvelous blend of indie folk and pop, packed with groovy, melodic tunes and a steady tempo that feels tailor-made for gazing down at your shoes or lying in the grass and watching the clouds pass by above.
Hollow Hand was essentially a solo effort from Max Kinghorn-Mills, who performed under the moniker for years. But after a run with MJ Lenderman and collaborative work with some others, he decided to bring in some backup, adding drummer Oliver Newton and bassist Leo Clarke to the fold. Kinghorn-Mills scrapped his old demos in favor of live tracking, a full group effort and the creative process that comes with alike artists.
“The way I’ve made albums previously has usually been huddled away in the tradition of a bedroom producer,” says Kinghorn-Mills. “I don’t want to ever feel like I’m going through the motions, so I decided to start again. Wish Road South expanded my horizons and made me realise there’s so much more to playing, and being in a band, than just recording the songs.”
Some standout tracks include the previously released singles “Here Are The Tulips” and “Heavy Metal T-Shirt,” but “Kiss The Boot” and “Love Again” are a couple of my personal favorites. Truth be told, though, there isn’t much filler here – that said, the record is remarkably consistent and holds up beautifully from front to back.
