Hoaries | Photo by Peter Salisbury
Bandcamp: https://hoaries.bandcamp.com/
By David Fletcher
Dallas noise-rock band Hoaries have re-released their first three EPs, Crudforms 1-3, on Reptilian Records. The ten-track CD is a remixed and remastered collection of the sold-out seven-inches originally released on Dreamy Life Records between 2017 and 2018.
Along with the remastering, Hoaries have firmed up the order of the songs as they were originally presented between the physical release, bandcamp and Spotify.
In the digital age, there’s no real difficulty in putting together three EPs on a playlist, but presenting these three EPs as a solid unit gives the album a clear sense of order and completion worthy of any full-length.
What hasn’t changed is Hoaries’ unabashed delivery of heavy and tense guitars wrapped around ecstatic drums and a pounding bass with Jeff Helland’s sneering vocals defying all the comfort of melody and disquieting an already anxious soundscape.
There is no doubt that Hoaries’ music is a challenge to listen to, but for those willing to take up the challenge there is much in the way of sonic reward.
Take a song like “Diet of Change” originally from the first EP, which starts off as an incredibly heavy, hard-driving song about the need for changing up the pace of one’s life to survive.
Hoaries | Photo by Peter Salisbury
Listen closely for how the song changes to match the subject matter. Frantic paranoid guitar sounds give way to moments of quiet midway through the song, immediately followed by the line “A little break and then I’m through.”
As the song circles back into that same paranoia, it’s clear that this is music imitating life imitating music. Just as there really is no way to stop life from coming at you, there is no way to stop this song from looping back to its beginning.
“Crony’s an Asp” from the second EP is another song that distorts traditional song formulas to achieve a higher purpose. Underneath all the chaos being layered on top, the song has a pretty groovy surf rock feel to it.
But things aren’t groovy and surfy. Things are repetitive, lonely and generally fucked up.
The sludgy, brooding track “Night of High Fives” originally from the third EP juxtaposes the idea of trying to have a good time with the slog of its music.
This isn’t celebration rock. It’s devastation rock.
It’s getting to the point where having a good time is just kind of a joke because what’s pulling us all down does not go away with a high five.
You can catch the next Hoaries show 9/27 @ Lola’s with Pinkish Black and BLK OPS
