One can imagine that the members of the Black Hollies have spent their lives breathing in the dust of used record stores, thumbing through the ‘60s psychedelic rock stacks, and laying needles in the grooves of worn LPs. They so fully embody that decade and that genre; it’s easier to imagine them as paisley-clad 13th Floor Elevators contemporaries rather than a four-year-old band from New Jersey.
Softly Towards the Light, the third album from the Black Hollies, mixes spacey grooves with pop tunes and introduces no major changes from their previous recorded work. You have to admire a band that doesn’t care about the current decade or its trends, that knows their strong points and sticks to them. The opener, “Run With Me Run,” is the psychedelic staple, a song heavy on the tambourine and keyboard, echoing vocals and a room-exploring sound. “Gloomy Monday Morning,” funnily enough, has a catchier beat, while “Everything’s Fine,” turns the mood melancholic. The retro vibe transcends its medium, giving the music a classic sound even if played as an MP3.
The Black Hollies are not merely imitators; they feel like the real thing. Softly Towards the Light emits a certain ambience, tricking the listener into thinking it’s a found LP with yellowed sleeves and frayed cardboard cover. It’s a well-weathered sound—especially with songs like “Everything’s Fine”—oddly comforting even if sadly nostalgic.
Although they sound like a band from the Nuggets compilations, the Black Hollies improve on Nuggets-era bands. They shed the drug-addled optimism of the hippy ‘60s and instead tinge their sound with a dose of modern hopelessness. Nuggets bands are sometimes shrill and irritating in current contexts because of their high-pitched happiness. Softly Towards the Light, however, is dipped in regret; most lyrics express loss, wistfulness, and denial.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of tambourine and even a drum solo at the end of “Number Ten Girl.” Before the whole album becomes a pity party, the suggestive “Lead Me to Your Fire,” comes along. It’s the perfect song for a poolside swinger’s party, or just for hours of staring at a lava lamp. The album closes on a hopeful note; “Don’t be Afraid to Ask” is a smirky, heartbreak recovery tune.
If you think this band is a one-trick pony, attend a live show. Last year, the Black Hollies played the big Indie event, CMJ Fest, in New York City. On the cozy bottom floor of the Lower East Side’s Cake Shop, they put on a show fit for a southern roadhouse. Their boozy, laid-back, sound was a far cry from the polyester and bell-bottoms of Softly and their two previous releases. This year sees the Black Hollies returning to CMJ Fest, playing with other Ernest Jennings bands at their record-release party.
Track List:
1. Run With Me Run (3:37)
2. Gloomy Monday Morning (3:14)
3. When You’re Not There (3:46)
4. Everything’s Fine (4:42)
5. Number Ten Girl (4:43)
6. Lead Me To Your Fire (3:58)
7. Look What You’ve Done (3:15)
8. Can’t Stop These Tears (From Falling) (3:42)
9. How Did We Get Here (3:58)
10. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask (3:25)
