On this third release, Louisville, KY-based Quiet Hollers adds much more depth and richness to their music than their previous efforts. The group\u2019s 2013 debut I Am The Morning<\/i> had an ostensible alt-country sound, featuring simple acoustic guitar song arrangements. Their 2015 self-titled sophomore effort was a big step forward, taking them toward a more diverse rock \u00a0sound. With a more polished and sophisticated sound than its predecessor, Amen Breaks<\/i> takes the band\u2019s music to the next level, moving farther away from their alt-country beginnings. Frontman Shadwick Wilde\u2019s intense baritone vocals sound more contemplative than ever. The whole album has an \u00a0impeccably blissful feel for those who wish to seek some deep reflection. <\/p>\n
\u201cBlack + Red + White\u201d is a number that evokes this type of mood perfectly. It\u2019s constructed around a haunting whistled melody; however, even when it rises to a crescendo with rousing strings towards the end, it never looses its sense of calmness. Similarly, the title track, with its simple acoustic guitar and vocals, sounds as if it is meant to be performed around a campfire. Despite the thunderous drums and guitars that kick in later in the number, its serenity remains intact, just like a calming experience in the woods is not diminished by some rainfall.<\/p>\n
The singles are interesting, as they run the gamut from quiet to loud. \u201cSt. Valentine\u2019s Boys,\u201d the softest number on Amen Breaks<\/i>, is centered simply around a gently played acoustic guitar and pensive vocals. On the other hand, \u201cPressure\u201d is a raucous full-on hard guitar-rock song, the only one of its kind on this record. In the middle is \u201cMedicine,\u201d which is totally nonchalant with a catchy guitar lick and swooning strings until you realize that this cut is about the very grave issue of mental illness.<\/p>\n
Album highlights \u201cThe Path\u201d and \u201cBroken Guitar\u201d best represent the moodier and more soulful side of this release. \u201cThe Path,\u201d which is also the opening track, is big and dramatic, with Wilde\u2019s passionate singing and equally fiery violins amplifying the drama. Still, all this explosiveness is well contained within the song\u2019s peaceful angelic aura. \u201cBroken Guitar\u201d is the complete opposite and is totally calm and restrained through and through. It is a straight-up indie rock cut, nowhere near the band\u2019s alt-country roots, led by groovy drumming that are quite danceable and very catchy.<\/p>\n
Amen Breaks<\/i> is an album for lonely times, or for times when you are cozying up with someone or something \u2013 maybe a glass of wine or a book. Either way, for those moments of quiet introspection, this release is certainly an elegant and rewarding musical choice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":33403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"artist":[10127],"rating":[5617],"class_list":["post-45220","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-quiet-hollers","rating-rating-b-plus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/45220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/45220\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45220"},{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=45220"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=45220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}