I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Tommy and Lorrie Harden at a Music Geisha networking event in London, courtesy of the delightful Music Geisha herself, Rowena Morgan. Not only was the proverbial selfie taken by me with them both, but they performed standing on a table in a small bar. Their beautiful harmonies and obvious chemistry made the hairs on my neck stand up. Haunting, beautiful and delicious. They have this knack of making their music sound so familiar but so new. You think to yourself, “I have heard this somewhere before” but you haven’t. Their music lulls you in to that gorgeous, comfortable place. You know what I mean, that duvet moment on a Sunday morning, those old jeans you won’t throw away because they are just so damn comfortable, the old armchair that you still curl up in to watch a silly movie on a rainy day. You know exactly what I mean, right?
As a muso myself (you didn’t know?), I know that we all aspire to come up with that one song, that one harmony or melody that just catches us, makes us catch our breath, lift up the hairs on our neck, and then we know that we have something. It takes a combination of vocals, harmonies, arrangement, instrumentation, the works. Well, Lost Hollow have that in spades. This EP is pure, it is real and just catches you in THAT place. Every song is relatable. You can apply them to YOUR lives, YOUR experiences, YOUR life. That is what makes a GREAT song. Well, these guys create GREAT songs. Not just the one, but many. Ever since I heard that impromptu London performance, standing on a table, I just knew these guys were deserving of their accolades. Don’t just take my word for it. Go watch the short documentary on their website, recorded at Lattitude South studios in South Tennessee at www.losthollowband.com. You will need to enter an email address but make sure you do. Listen to the testimonials from the guys they have working in the studio with them. And these are guys who have been there, done it AND got the t-shirt. Watch it all the way through and see that Lost Hollow is a family affair too. Watch the chemistry between Tommy and Lorrie. It is a pleasure to see two singers so connected. You will want to hear more from these guys, I am sure!
So, onward, here’s the review: –
TRACK 1 – When I Get Home
Fun, cheerful, catchy. This is such a great song. It wraps you up and pulls you in immediately. I was tapping my foot from the first guitar riff. It is a simple song, all about what will happen “when I get home”. Naughty but true! Not explicit but just flirty. I love the line about the text lighting up the phone and the Johnny Cash reference too. Lyrically current but still sounding real country. The alternate verses between Tommy and Lorrie are just so good to hear and their combined vocals on the chorus are sublime. Watch the performance on the documentary video and see the eye contact and the smiles. It’s a happy song. A song about missing that special person after being away from them. A celebration of that love between two people who have missed each other. A superb title track for the EP.
TRACK 2 – I Love Me Some You
The REM-like intro on this is just downright catchy. Like I said, these guys make you think you have heard the song before and give you that familiarity that just draws you in. Another song about appreciating the one you love, and all their good bits. As the song says, I love me some you. Great play on words in the lyrics. The harmonies are delicious and the musicality on this song is pure professionalism. Clean and tight and the back-line bass and drums by Nathan Sexton and Dave LaBruyere in the video are nigh on perfect on this. Again, a catchy little number from the first line onwards.
TRACK 3 – We Both Lose
A darker, more sombre track. That moment when you should say goodbye. That moment when you must walk away. The pedalsteel/slide guitar on this brings the mood down a notch to let you know that things aren’t working. The vocal harmonies are so pure in here and they put across that sadness. We’ve all been there, and if you haven’t, this song just plays in to that vibe, that moment when it becomes apparent that things aren’t good. It is beautiful, and sad, but just sucks you in to that moment once more. This would be a great movie soundtrack song about that break-up, that big goodbye that wells up the tears. Again, though, pure professionalism through and through. A great, great “sad” song.
TRACK 4 – Falling
Written by the delightfully tall Tim Fraser for no other than Tina Turner. Not an original song written by the band but when given the Lost Hollow treatment, I must say that it is just divine. A love song that lifts the heart and makes the hairs on my neck stand up. A perfect wedding song. You know the one. The first dance, the dance that brings tears of happiness to the eyes as you watch the happy couple dance, knowing that they are just so much in love. Lyrically, this song is beautiful (thanks, Tim) but with Lost Hollow performing it, it is made just that little bit more beautiful. Listen out for the delicious violin playing by Jimmy Mattingly in the video. Just wonderful.
TRACK 5 – I Am
This track is uplifting, positive, anthemic even. When I heard this for the first time, it just lifted my spirits in the same way Wilson Phillips did with the song Hold On back in the eighties (showing my age). It made me smile. It made me think, yep, I am. I am all the above, but I am me. It’s one of those songs that lifts you. It’s bouncy and has that little bounce in its step that bounces you along with it, with a great drum beat. I was tapping away to this without even knowing it, smiling and thinking about good things I want to do, to achieve. Uplifting, positive and the last few lines gave me those goose bumps that let me know that this is one of those songs that will always sound great and will never leave my playlist.
So, in conclusion? Lost Hollow are just one of those bands that I just love (could you tell?). But not just for the great music. Their songs are fine, and will stand the test of time, I am sure, but I have seen Tommy and Lorrie sing together with no band, just intimately in a pub bar, and even then, the purity of their vocals just shone through. Their chemistry was obvious. Their harmonies clean and pure. From one muso to another, just don’t stop, guys, keep going and doing what you’re doing.
Get the EP on iTunes: https://itun.es/gb/kwHDjb
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