It’s rare for bands to stray from their suit and maintain the integrity and honesty that they squeezed out the first go-around. Manotick, Ont. rockers Hollerado have giddied up with their second full-length album, White Paint, digging their teeth into life, love, loss, and everything in between.
A far-cry from 2009’s manic, playful debut, Record in a Bag, bandmates Menno Versteeg, Nick Boyd, Jake Boyd, and Dean Baxter navigate deeper waters on White Paint. Sonically, the group’s familiar jangly riffing, blended with loose, rumbling rhythm work keep their roots in tact, while the lyricism on Paint marks a far more contemplative venture.
“Don’t Think,” which follows the spacey, psychedelic opening expedition, has a lot to say. It sums up the album, and the band’s, direction and stream of thought since Record four years ago. “At the end of time and space/Who will remember the human race?” wonders Versteeg on the track.
The band has developed a taste for storytelling, and it hasn’t taken them long to get the hang of it. The group tells us about the plight of a hopeless Galapagos tortoise on “Lonesome George,” and of rummaging for treasures in seas of junk (a neat commentary on looking for a partner) on “Fresno Chunk (Digging With You).” The tracks on White Paint weave a heavy patchwork of human tales, all melded flavourfully over kooky, racy instrumental work.
It’s tough to exclude any of the 11 raucous tracks on a highlight list, but “So It Goes” is worthy of extra mention. The dance-driven beat and frenetic guitar parts play backdrop to some of the group’s most touching and beautiful words. “You can’t make peace without an enemy/You can’t be forgiven without sin/We’re all looking for a love that’s gonna set us free/But first you must forgive the man you’ve been,” belts guitarist Nick Boyd on the song’s bridge.
The following track, “I Want My Medicine,” finds Versteeg exploring the struggle of an ailing man who is driven to sell his beloved record collection to fund his medical bills. It’s a well-orchestrated tribute to the love and power of music for people young and old, as the group pains on the song, “You make the days less long/Oh, let me hear just one less song.”
Despite the hefty rearrange, the indie quartet still pulls off an infectiously fun and addictive record. The rowdy, anthemic choruses and scorching musical breakdowns colour the album all the brightest hues we’ve come to expect from the group. Outros complete with whistling, giggling and banter ensure the good feelings live on.
White Paint shows us an all-grown-up Hollerado, with all the frills and fun that made us love them in the first place.
