BELL HOLLOW
BELL HOLLOW
BH

And after much deliberation we find Greg Fasolino moving alongside a resurrected The Naked & The Dead, with something wholly new, in an interesting four piece. Their avowed intention is to create ‘bittersweet mood music’ which is fine, and accurate. (Not too sure about the ‘evocative soundtrack to surreal dreams and oceanic tension’ despite the impressive terminology.) They mention drawing together elements of post-punk, dark-alt sounds and shoegazing, but somehow in ‘Our Water Burden’ there’s something else. Nick Niles has such a relaxed, confident vocal style this is circumspect indie luxury, with tingling, shuddering guitar from Greg and some uncredited backing vocals (unless Nick is successfully exploring his feminine side), and as with Hearts Fail and The Arid Sea, two other indie greats to come the way of this journal, this is rich in promise and delivery.

‘Lowlights’ turns the lights down as Christopher Bollman’s bass glows sleekly, and Hayden Millstead vibrates slowly on drums as the song aches deliciously, then moves away from the gloomier evocative music into ‘Late At Night’ with a simpler, gliding footfall and if you’re expecting comparisons it’s maybe like a subdued, Fatima Mansions. Eventually their patient nature is shunted forward for the bigger, urgent ‘Getting On In Years’, mixing sweet vocals over winking guitar and the subtle, bewitching rhythmic intrusion.

There could easily be a classic album in the offing.

http://www.bellhollow.com