HARD VOLT: TOMAHAWK
Using direct lyrics, big hooks, and lush guitars, Hard Volt crafts intelligent pop songs that are emotionally resonant, yet slightly off-kilter. It's a break-up album at first glance, but a closer listen reveals Tomahawk to be something deeper.
On a conceptual level, it's an indie album from the viewpoint of a collar-poppin', weight-liftin', binge-drinkin' narrator, the guy talking way too loud under your window at 3:00 AM. Throughout the album, Hard Volt throws in doses of irony (the opening line of Vices, right before the Top Gun Soundtrack bass kicks in: "Since you left me, I've been getting in shape / hell yeah! I work out all the time"), along with compassion. These are confessionals sung by people who lack the awareness to edit out the self-condemning details. As a result, Tomahawk is strangely touching. It's also strictly realist, a refreshing break from indie-pop's tendency toward nü-mysticism.
"Good People," the lead single, gives a taste of what to expect from the album: big synth hooks, Eno/Gabriel drums, and passionate vocals, all punctuated by a funky 8-bit guitar solo.
Listen via Spotify (left), or download from pretty much any digital music outlet.
