Hymns
Appaloosa EP
Blackland; 2009
When I reviewed Travel In Herds, the sophomore record from Hymns, back in Spring 2008, I confessed to being a bit skittish of the band’s look when pared with their listed influences. However, the quartet’s brand of folky indie rock quickly won me over, as they have a definite knack for re-imagining classic country-rock and ‘70s pop with understated style. (And it didn’t hurt that the group put on a fine showing at SXSW 2009 serving as Daniel Johnston’s backing band). On this go-round, The Appaloosa EP finds the guys pushing that sound even further, as this tasty little project is comprised of five breezy, shiny tunes reminiscent of The Eagles and Summerteeth-era Wilco, with some Springsteen tossed in for good measure.
At times, especially on “Call Me Honey,” the music of Hymns is stylistically jumbled, as if the band is spreading its sound out a bit too thinly. Furthermore, the songs like “Black Boots” and “Ten Bells” make it easy to toss Hymns into the currently over-saturated alt-country/Americana camp. But when “Wedding Day” starts to shimmer and the horns of the title track come blaring out, it becomes increasingly difficult to resist the impulse to do jig about the room with a big smile on my face. Thus, while I would encourage Hymns to continue honing and focusing its overall aesthetic, Appaloosa is still a fun and enjoyable EP.