Hollerado aren't exactly known for writing pop songs, but the Ottawa band's new album, Born Yesterday, features one of the most radio-ready rock songs of the year: "Don't Shake."
That tune starts off with finger-snap percussion, faintly throbbing guitar fretting and front man Menno Versteeg's husky but subdued singing about finding someone to love. The chorus features the shouting, punk-y singing that has become Hollerado's trademark, but ends with a swanky guitar lick and surprisingly smooth phrasing from Versteeg about equally "steady hands."
That versatility is thrilling, and it's showcased throughout the record: on the soft-loud to and fro of "I Got You 1"; the muscular percussion straining against the yearning chorus on "Eloise"; and the spare, staccato guitar intro on "Rollerskater," which contrasts with the full-throated sing-along "doo woo woos" on the chorus.
Hollerado are bound to attract new fans with Born Yesterday, as they push their boundaries without abandoning the brawny basis of their sound.
(Royal Mountain Records)That tune starts off with finger-snap percussion, faintly throbbing guitar fretting and front man Menno Versteeg's husky but subdued singing about finding someone to love. The chorus features the shouting, punk-y singing that has become Hollerado's trademark, but ends with a swanky guitar lick and surprisingly smooth phrasing from Versteeg about equally "steady hands."
That versatility is thrilling, and it's showcased throughout the record: on the soft-loud to and fro of "I Got You 1"; the muscular percussion straining against the yearning chorus on "Eloise"; and the spare, staccato guitar intro on "Rollerskater," which contrasts with the full-throated sing-along "doo woo woos" on the chorus.
Hollerado are bound to attract new fans with Born Yesterday, as they push their boundaries without abandoning the brawny basis of their sound.