HOLLER! by HOLLER!

I've heard HOLLER! live many times and have always been thrilled with their energy, spontaneity, diversity of genres and moods, and the mix of stunning original songs by frontman Ami Yares and covers of famous and obscure great songs by others. With this, their debut album, HOLLER! have successfully translated that energy, thoughtfulness, and fun into the studio. These are 10 of Yares's best compositions and the band plays them like they mean them. Ranging emotionally and sonically from soulful plea for sanity and peace on "Jerusalem" to foot-stomping rockabilly on "I Know, I Know", to percussive explosiveness of "Treason", to the heartbreaking subdued prayerfulness of "Mountain", the band demonstrates how deeply steeped they are in the various expressions of folk music and Yares shows a maturity in his writing that is intensely located in the present while hearkening to days when brilliant musicians would become known outside of their neighborhood only if Alan Lomax happened to stop by with a recorder. On different songs, listeners will alternatively hear echoes of Dire Straits, Steve Goodman, Old Crow Medicine Show, and even Eddie Vedder's vocal twang. Jason Reich's lead guitar is very strong, Barak Cohen's washboard is especially pleasurable, and Lilach Perlstein (of "Just Married") adds effective backup vocals. If you like real, raw music, with good musicianship, good harmonies, and ABOUT something, HOLLER!'s debut album is for you.

- Aryeh Bernstein