Black Hollies, The - Casting Shadows (Album)
It’s easy to tell from the front cover of The Black Hollies’ new album, Casting Shadows, that there’s some sort of psychedelic rock influence there; the purple flower (which upon closer inspection is revealed as the words "Casting Shadows") surrounding the bands name on the front sort of gives it away. So too does the black-and-white image on the back of the four band members walking down a flight of steps; highly reminiscent of the Beatles famous ‘Abbey Road’ album. Yet rather than being just another copy band from that era, the Black Hollies achieve something quite refreshing with this album.
The Black Hollies are a quartet out from Jersey, aiming at the psychedelic rock market. Sounding strongly like the bigger bands of that time, such as the Byrds, the Who, and the Beatles, one could be forgiven for thinking the Black Hollies come straight out of the 60’s themselves. The tunes are mainly driven through the purely harmonious lead and backup vocals, accompanied by catchy pop guitar riffs. Sometimes that guitar is slightly distorted, and it brings to mind the fuzzy speakers and now-outdated equipment of the 60’s, rather than seeming like deliberate production techniques of the modern day.
While obviously aiming to sound like the bands of the mighty 60’s in terms of song structure and music type, the Black Hollies are far from an imitation band. They bring with them on their new album several interesting melodies that could easily become new favourites in old rock-and-roll dance halls. Tracks like Paisley Pattern Ground inevitably get heads nodding in time to the strong guitar-accentuated drum beat, and my personal favourites, Whispers Beneath The Willows and If You Won’t Let Go, are easy sing-a-longs with sweet melodies and a couple of minor hooks thrown in.
Of my only criticisms of ‘Casting Shadows’, the first is that many of the tracks do indeed sound quite similar. While there is a distinct sound and style that the Hollies are aiming for in their quest for 60’s rock psychedelia, bands such as the Beatles and the Who had plenty of variety in their songs, even within the one album. Maybe next time the Hollies will do this too, rather than stick within the set boundaries of the predictable 4-beat rhythm. The other criticism is that the album is too short! At only 35 minutes total length, value for money is an issue here.
Nevertheless, a refreshing breath of air from the Black Hollies. It is good to see that the 60’s are not yet dead, buried, or forgotten. Power to the psychedelic!
