Advance Review - Hovvdy - Heavy Lifter (October 18, 2019)
Heavy Lifter kicks off with the low-key track "1999". It's an acoustic track that features some good harmonization throughout and fun melodies. "Mr. Lee" follows it up which has more of an alt feel to it. It has an electronic beat to it. It's bright, poppy, and fun.
Next is "So Brite", which is my favorite on the album to this point. It's lo-fi, indie goodness that you'll be bound to love. "Cathedral" is very much in a similar vein stylistically as "So Brite". It evokes thoughts back to alt from a past era. It sort of reminds me of Pinback. Hovvdy shifts gear again with "Lifted" as they return to the acoustic sound they utilized on "1999". However, the vocals have been put through effects here, so it does bring a distinct sound that pops off the acoustic guitar accompaniment.
On the second half of the album we have "Ruin (My Ride)", it effortlessly blends elements of alt and lo-fi together for another of my favorite tracks on the album. "Tools" is a unique track on the album as there are so many elements present from electronic music, including the use of autotuned vocals, effects throughout, and great key work. The album concludes similarly to how it started, with an acoustic number. "Sudbury" combines acoustic and lo-fi elements together similar to how "Ruin (My Ride)" does.
So the lowdown here is Hovvdy has produced a versatile and fresh album that I think listeners are absolutely going to dig. Their ability to play with genre is a key element to what makes Hovvdy so special. This is one that when it drops, you definitely won't want to miss it.
Tracks to Start With: "So Brite", "Cathedral", "Feet Tall", "Ruin (My Ride)", "Watergun", and "Sudbury".
Rating - 4/5