Dublin-based duo The Hollows have been quietly (almost silently) winning fans with their intimate live shows of late, and on evidence of the superbly-titled It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It (which comes in suitably scorched packaging, put together by the band themselves), they might not remain a secret for long.
It Was On Fire... is The Hollows’ third release and first album proper, created, recorded and produced at home, with Steve Fanagan taking care of knob-twiddling duties. On it, they remain true to their mostly American influences, coming across as Ireland’s answer to Mark Linkous, Bright Eyes and Grandaddy all rolled into one, with a touch of Canadian maverick Chad Van Gaalen for good measure.
The music is so quiet and not-quite-there that it’s almost opaque, a combination of tenderly plucked guitars, organ, piano and drums, which blend in perfectly alongside gentle electronica. All the while, the vocals are either crooned or whispered, creating a whole that’s warmer than a lazy summer Sunday, fuzzier than the effects of a bottle and a half of red wine and as welcome as a bucket of ice cold water on a sultry New York afternoon.
The pace never rises above the stately, from the funereal Americana of ‘Eventually’, through the Sparklehorse homage of ‘I Dreamt You Woke’ and on to the soft electronic instrumental of ‘I Will See You Again’ or the gorgeous ‘By Your Beside’. ‘Cavalry’ begins like a countrified take on The Commodores’ ‘Easy (Like Sunday Morning)’, but there any similarity with the soul classic ends. This is a song that’s beautiful yet undeniably bleak, as is the equally phenomenal ‘Close My Eyes’, a stunning song that positively aches with yearning.
It Was On Fire... is far from the sunniest album you’re likely to hear this year – ‘It’s All Sorrow’ alone makes misery sound so damned pleasant – so those prone to bouts of melancholia would perhaps be best advised to approach with caution. Indeed, The
Hollows’ tenderised brand of bitter-sweet Americana certainly won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but for this listener’s money, it’s arguably the biggest surprise of the year from an Irish perspective and the most serendipitous of finds. Perfect Sunday morning music, and not just for those coming down.