The Tacoma, Washington singer-songwriter Kye Alfred Hillig is back with a ninth album, which is all originals, and brings some friends along for the carefully fleshed out tracks.
The punchy and melodic “The Horrible Truth” starts with Hillig’s breezy guitar and gritty yet tuneful voice guiding the folk-rock fun. “Ezekiel Bobbing For Apples” follows with Jasen Samford’s agile drumming and Annie J’s soulful backing voices in a more Americana-fueled climate, and “Divorce Of Course Of Course” places Samford on mandolin for the bluegrass-inspired beauty.
The middle is where some of the best songs reside, although there isn’t a bad tune present. The reflective “Don’t Cancel The Fair” shimmers with dreaminess that makes great use of Yoswa’s intricate bass. “How Desperate We Are” then benefits from Bill Nordwall’s graceful piano which suits Hillig’s emotive pipes, while “Jules Can You See Me?” is a full moment that’s dance floor-ready and displays plenty of harmonic qualities thanks to David Bilbrey’s guitar.
The last six songs are equally excellent. The jangly and upbeat “Something Is Different” invites singing-along immediately, but it’s the driving and lush “Our Remaining Pig” that swirls with an infectious energy and some guitar crunch that alone is worth the journey here.
One of the calmest tunes, the intimate “The Mouth That Will Not Speak” eventually builds into a dense indie-rock moment, and “We Were Right (’Til We Were Wrong)” takes that lead with a heartfelt, minimal approach that’s poetic. “Cut Off All Your Hair” exits, and highlights the crisp rhythm section and harmonic guitar that complements Hillig’s sincere and powerful singing.
You can call this alt-country, indie-rock, modern folk or singer-songwriter fare. First and foremost this is great, relatable and timeless music from a guy I’m going to become very familiar with.
