The Black Hollies -Casting Shadows

Thu 27th Mar, 2008 in Music Reviews

The Black Hollies pack a quick, psychedelic punch on their second album, out April 12. In just over 35 minutes of fuzzed out guitars, scuffed up vocals, and tripped out drums, Casting Shadows brings back all that was great about 60s rock. Like, totally cosmic.

While the quartet unapologetically steals riffs from the likes of The Beatles, The Byrds, and The Who, it’s more of a celebration of the past than an attempt to reclaim it. The Black Hollies are so completely unoriginal, it becomes an original concept.

On Whispers Beneath the Willows, vocalist and bassist Justin Angelo Morey “oohs” and “aahs” a la Blue Jay Way, and Patient Sparrow sounds like a sitar-filled ode to Norwegian Wood.

Under a Winter’s Spell hints heavily at The Who Sings My Generation. Paisley Pattern Ground is a danceable psychedelic/garage/soul blend. Wait… the whole album is a danceable psychedelic/garage/soul blend.

While The Black Hollies aren’t doing anything new, innovative, or even entirely exciting, the whole package is a pretty easy pill to swallow. They’ve built each song on a solid foundation of rock legend. If you enjoy The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Hollies (name sound familiar?) or practically any radio-worthy ‘60s rock group, you’ll find something you like on Casting Shadows.

In a sea of cringe-worthy covers and lazy copy-cat bands, The Black Hollies are a breath of fresh air. Casting Shadows invites you to reminisce about the music of the ‘60s, but never wish you were listening to the originals instead. They walk a fine line with grace, and the whole album sounds charmingly unaffected.