Hollow Coves are a duo from Australia and play the kind of music one might expect from dudes who probably spend their days surfing, chilling on the beach and listening to the Beach Boys (or John Butler, anyway): laid back and with a feel of sea and summer, and lots of harmonies.
Hollow Coves’ sound is not original but they do it well; early on I thought of The Thrills, whose “So Much for the City” was great (and I paid good English pounds to see them live) but whose one-trick pony of a sound soon became tiring; Hollow Coves stand repeated plays.
Hollow Coves are also gentler and more indie pop in nature; I recently played fellow Ozzies Angus and Julia Stone and Josh Pyke (who I saw supporting Rainbow Trout many years ago in at inadvertently fish-themed gig), both acoustic acts, and comparisons can be made but then in places they sound like Choir of Young Believers (theme to the “The Bridge”) or even José González. They’re smooth like NZ band Breaks Coop but not as formulaic as Jack Johnson, the ultimate slick music surfer dude.
The album opens with “Nothing to Lose”, a chilled pop tune, followed by a thoughtful acoustic tune “Letting Go” before the album takes off with “Milk and Honey,” as joyous an indie pop song as you will hear all year. The later “Purple” is also excellent.
“Harder to Fake It” is a bit Simon and Garfunkel. “On The Way” and “Be Alright” are folkier, the latter’s lyrics all hippy dippy and feel-good: “When the sun comes up / And the light breaks through / I hear the birds above and think of you … I know I’ll be alright”. “Fact or Fiction” is a stadium-pleasing acoustic Coldplay sound.
A nicely varied, gentle album that has potential to be a favourite, both undemanding but also clever and melodic.
See hollowcoves.bandcamp.com/album/nothing-to-lose.
