This reviewer is a self-proclaimed music snob, who hangs out with other self-proclaimed music snobs. I’m talking about people who quiz each other on the names of Pavement’s successive drummers over lunch. Believe me when I express to you my surprise that this unassuming little EP caught my attention in a big way.
New York quintet Hawk and Dove blends vocals, drums, guitar, bass and violin. These four tracks tap into genres that have lured picky music connoisseurs for decades, from sleepy Americana to driving indie and even post-rock. The result is emotionally riveting, bringing indie firecrackers We Were Promised Jetpacks to mind. Instrumentation is captivating and varied, from minimal, ponderous bass to meandering interplay between violin, guitar and drums. Vocals are dynamic, delivering plaintive lyrics and jumping from genre to genre, occasionally taking on a jazzy warble.
The first track, “Furious Armies, is a plodding ballad tinged with post-rock. Dark, introspective guitar mirrors a subtly restrained passion in the vocals.
The second track, “Stain,” begins as a folksy sing-song reminiscent of Joanna Newsom, and soon builds to an emotional dirge.
The EP’s strongest offering, “Boy on the Moon,” at first seems minimal and plaintive. Even snobs have feelings, and I’ll be returning to this one on lonely city nights. Guitar and violin dance somberly with vocals that are appealingly relatable. The song builds into an epic ballad and collapses into feedback after a satisfying guitar tantrum.
The fourth track, “Muscle Breaks,” is quiet and slow, with pretty strings and sad vocals reminiscent of folk darlings The Decemberists.
Those who look down their noses at Top 40 charts will find something to embrace about Hawk and Dove’s first offering “Rocking Chair.” And whether or not we admit it, we’ll all be eagerly awaiting the full length.
Reviewed by Kendra Atleework
