Holopaw - Holopaw (Sub Pop, 2003)

Holopaw
Holopaw
Sub Pop
2003

Rating: 7.5 panhandle panhandlers out of 10

Next time you see him, thank Isaac Brock. Thank him for introducing the folks at Subpop to Holopaw, a great new addition to my music collection and hopefully yours. Brock (of Modest Mouse fame) had the singer of Holopaw, John Orth, help him on his side project Ugly Casanova. Orth’s vocal additions on that album are one of it’s brightest spots, so I was highly anticipating the release of the Holopaw album - I was not disappointed with the outcome. Not that the band is second rate, but Orth’s voice is so mesmerizing that it’s easy to forget there is any music playing along with it at all. Something about it’s quality reminds me of long drives late at night through the country, very haunting and morose, with a tinge of warble in that country sort of way. The music fits these moods as well, reminding me of Lambchop, Palace, and the Radar Brothers, among others. Give this album a listen, through headphones if you have them, and discover one of your new favorite bands.