I
first saw you on a show called London Live, and they had one of those
cool lights that shoots all over – I can’t think of what they’re called.
RH: A mirror ball?
Q: Yeah.
RH:
Mirror balls are great. We don’t always have them but if we do have a
mirror ball – no matter who you are, whether you’re a little old lady
or a hard-core punk it affects every one the same. It’s a nice light -
it seems to be a true light – it’s light reflecting off all shapes of
glass.
Q: You don’t use your natural accent while singing – do you ever think about singing with your accent?
RH:
I don’t deliberately do anything. It just comes out the way it is – I
don’t think I’ve got a particularly American accent. The songs are
based, a lot of them anyway – not all of them – in my hometown, with
geographical places as points of reference. But I never wanted that to
be exclusive to people so that it’s so colloquial that only people who
live at the end of my road can relate to it. That would be a waste of
time. I grew up listening to American music, so that when you open your
mouth to sing that’s what comes out. I’ve learnt from birth.
Aloha
Light Works EP
2007 | Polyvinyl Records
Light Works is an end of year thank you for the fans from Aloha.
Initially I was going to be really tough on this album.The power of
their last album, Some Echoes, was at a much higher, if not poppier,
intensity. Light Works is mellower, but has slumped somehow. The
moodiness of the songs detracts from the ambiance they are trying to
create. There are attempts at creating a soft soundscape, but over
production makes it sounds flat on several tracks. After the first
song, "Body Buzz", it gets shaky, with the lyrics feeling juvenile.
"The End" fortunately picks the album back up. It's melodic with a down
beat tempo that reminds me of Grandaddy, what with the cracking voice
from singer Tony Cavallario. The song produces an uncontrollable urge
to tap your feet and sing along. "Passengers" also feels stronger and
more complete. Admittedly, Aloha made some improvisation in the
recording studio, and while this "free spiritedness" sometimes works,
many of the tracks feel incomplete.
The
improvisation here may have ambled on for too long at times, however
the several tracks that stand out should really be listened to. I'd
recommend "Body Buzz", "The End", and "Passengers".
-Elana Rintala
(Looking for something similar? Try these bands: Band of Horses, Beulah
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