Here at Recommender Towers we are under no illusion that as music bloggers we are in something of a privileged position. This privilege is something music bloggers like us could easily forget after doing it a few years, but we are basically totally un-professional and unofficial, yet we’ve somehow crowbarred ourselves into a position of influence by sheer determination, (and a little bit of graft), but under no circumstances should we ‘expect’ to be sent all the music we receive every day. Although it would be easy to moan, as this position results in a relentless avalanche of artists into our inboxes, causing us to listen to hours of dirge and dross in the hope of uncovering something exceptional – which is compounded when you’re as picky as we are – however, it is undoubtedly a lucky position, as sometimes, just sometimes, you press play upon a tune and it shoots your half-closed eyelids open as if you’someone’s just unexpectedly whispered the most shocking gossip into your ears. Today we had that exact moment.
As you while away the hours sifting through the time-wasters you sometimes long for some magic. Like a smack addict that’s suffering under the dullest of methadone programmes, you just want the injection that a cracking tune can give you. Our moment came when we were welcomed into the world of Hello Ocho. And it is a world too, as the lead protagonists, with singer Chris Yonker and John Greggs on percussion, are found surrounding themselves with a collection of friendly musicians as if fronting an alternative pop cult. Our introduction was a tune called Stickin’ To The Sheets and it was just the wake up we needed. High octane clamour pop never sounded so fucking refreshing. They don’t just have one speed though, this is a band with real range, switching from fuming kitchen-sink-and-all indie pop to sensitive, melodic dreamscapes. Whichever end of their spectrum you come across, it’s all packed with ambitious ideas. This is the sound of a whole bunch of free minds opened up for your pleasure.
The duo/collective originate from Atlanta, Georgia. They got together around 2010 and have been jamming together around the Atlanta circuit ever since, often joined on stage by a selection of musical friends. Their roundabout of ideas is being put into their self-titled debut album, which should see a release early in 2013. We’ve been fortunate enough to earn a sneaky peek at the full album and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s been a while since we’ve heard an album so bulging at the seams with ideas. It’s almost overwhelming, as it’s schizophrenic characters have so many sides, yet they never separate entirely. Gelling this much imagination into one piece of work could always result in it losing it’s identity, but their DIY approach gives a running thread throughout. Whether it’s the over-styled, story-telling Chili Cheese Connie, or the Spanish La Pachanga De La Noche, both of which are entirely different, you still get the percussive jangles and vocal combinations that come from their alternative minds.
Tracks such as Fondancy combine a warm, throbbing core, but with jagged edges, in what is basically an instrumental for the entire first half of it’s five and half minutes. The tune, Charles Romanson takes things into some strange underwater world in a one-minute instrumental break – the second of two such pauses in the album, following the other tune Brown Crown, which appears as if they’re sound-tracking some alien world in a 70s Star Trek episode. Both appear like meandering thoughts that don’t really go anywhere, but they’re over before you tire of them and they split the rest of the album into palatable sections. There really is so much on offer with the remainder of the album, that these breaks stop you from filling up before you reach the pudding. An obvious peak, and possible future single, is the track, Whomp, which feels like all the other album tracks’ ideas cleverly reconfigured in one of the album’s most successful songs. It refines the melodies, tempers the style in a controlled manner and explodes with crescendos in all the right places.
To come up with an album like this not only takes a fizzing imagination and technical skill, but it also needs artists that are fearless and confident. These guys would put this album together whether anyone cared or not, seeming to be free from any normal industry pressure. They’re a collection of true musicians who would be as happy making your house party explode as much as they would perform on a bigger stage. Trying to grasp this album entirely is like trying to harness someone else’s mind. There is so much going on that you will never be able to control it, so if you allow the sounds in you will be richly rewarded, but it also leaves you feeling like you have given up a little bit of yourself to them. Thankfully the album closer, Party On A Raincloud, allows you the listener to come back down to earth gently, as if you’ve been partying hard all night long, only to wake up the next day with no hangover. Albums like this are more of an experience than a simple set of songs. Being invited into their world is indeed a privilege and well worth the lengthy inbox marathon it took to get there.
