The product of a Southern Californian trio made up of David Handley (bass & vox), Ernesto Melendez (guitars), and Jeremy Allen (drums), Hollow – the new EP from Seal Club – is a perfectly realised blend of assorted rock styles.
Opening track “Firing Squad” mixes a classic British-sounding indie/post-punk bouncy bassline with the spit and snarl of USA-based alt-rock. The result is something that sounds as indebted to Cage The Elephant as it does The Jam. There’s also a touch of Tokyo Police Club here, albeit maybe through a scuzzy My Bloody Valentine-esque lens. It’s quite the combination of components, and the whole thing is executed with a vim and vigour that you can’t help but feel only comes from those who really love what they do. The songwriting is instantaneous and – despite not really being able to make out the words (clearly a shoegaze-esque stylistic choice) – immediately catchy. A special mention must be made to the fantastic production, which also comes courtesy of the band’s own David Handley.
“Biscuit” is up next, and it has a distinct Surfer Blood vibe in the intro. Specifically, the sound of their second album, the criminally underappreciated Pythons. The poppy approachability of the songwriting again dovetails wonderfully with the sharp, angular guitars. By the time the chorus kicks in, they’re causing quite a racket. Like The Cribs at their most abrasive, Seal Club are in your face and unabashed. The notable combination of lead guitar and bass part in the verses is a particular highlight; it’s a brave band to base the foundation of their song on such a minimal arrangement, but the risk pays off, and it works perfectly. Sunny, gritty, jaunty, and infectious, “Biscuit” has everything.
The post-punk bass tones return for “Spider”. Opening with a gothic, new wave feel, it operates in a similar sphere to acts like The Cure and Siouxsie & The Banshees. Aspects of it also remind us of relatively recent discoveries, BBQ Pope. We think it must be the combination of prominent bass, driving rhythm, and snotty, punky vocals. It also has a little bit of a Scandi-rock vibe about it, recalling, in parts, the work of acts like The Kissaway Trail, Of Monsters & Men, and a much, much heavier Miike Snow.
“The Mystery” is a washed-out, hazy, two-minute epic. Starting with frenetic, scuzzy guitar chords, it fluctuates between chaotic and gigantic. It absolutely soars in the chorus and is unrelenting in the verses. It has a somewhat emo feel about it in certain places, with Haney’s vocals coming across as desperate, longing, and angsty. Like a blend of Yuck, Wavves, and DIIV, The Mystery is as much about the tone and texture as it is about the attitude and execution.
The fifth and final track is the title track and is the closest the band comes to a ballad. “Hollow” is gentle and tender, heartfelt and vulnerable. Skin scrapes on metal strings, cymbals splash, and chords shimmer. The bittersweet atmosphere and ambience created is thick, like a fog. And then, at around 4 minutes in, the bottom drops out, and we plummet. The despair that seemed to hover around us whilst listening to the first part of the song is now overwhelming, and we drown in Handley’s sorrow.
An unforgettable ride and a very exciting sign of – hopefully – what’s to come in the future, Hollow is, in our humble opinion, the first absolutely essential EP of the year. Take a listen to Hollow below.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
