Hoboeye

“Bridges Freeze First,” the 5 song debut ep of Daniel Hales & The Frost Heaves, travels all over the musical map, drawing on a wide range of styles: alternative/indy without the smug hipsterism, Americana without the self pity, psychedelic without the affected British accent, rock without the rawk, pop without the saccharine, folk without the new age, experimental without the elitism. Like a good mix tape, “Bridges...” blends these (and other) genres without their limitations and cliches. And if you enjoy this leg of the journey, stick around for the full 14 song road trip: “Frost Heaves,” due out in December. As if the band raided pawn shops and bazaars from rural New England, to Tel Aviv, to Kenya, to Calcutta, “Frost Heaves” is rich in unique sonic textures: pedal steel, Hammond B3, sitar, autoharp, talking drum, cello, harmonium, upright bass, darbukka, wurlitzer, tabla, psaltery, vintage synthesizers, banjo, djembe, violin, harmonica, celeste, dobro, harpsichord, strangely tuned guitars, drum machines, banjoud, twirl tubes, secret weapon, and Pabst Blue ribbon cans played with brushes. For this eclectic project, Daniel (songwriter, singer, strummer, picker) took a break from his bands The Ambiguities and The Wherewithal and worked closely with producer and engineer Norm Demoura (NRBQ, the Shaggs) at Harmonium Studio (in an old brassworks building in Haydenville, MA). Together with a collective of talented musicians and vocalists, and propelled by drummer Mike Levesque (David Bowie, Juliana Hatfield), they’ve crafted a pleasing musical hybrid with gorgeous harmonies and lyrics that don’t suck. Why not satisfy your ear’s wanderlust and give it a listen? This post originally appeared at http://hoboeye.com/music44.htm. Hoboeye has since closed.