Holiday Rambler

D. Alex Meeps (of Hooded Fang), a band that released one of my favourite albums of 2011, has released what might become one of my favourite albums of 2012. I know that the year is still young, but allow me some enthusiasm. There is no End to the World comes from a completely different genre than the shoegaze California pop of Hooded Fang. Here, Meeps shows off his beautiful fingerpicking skills and deep baritone. The album is sparse, but in its simplicity are the echoes of American history; Meeps sounds like he sold his soul to the devil on a gravel road in Alabama one dark night. Songs with titles like "Redwood," "Centralia" and "California" describe an incredible road-trip, which is fitting, because the Holiday Rambler was a manufacturer of the first RVs in the American market. Despite the sentiment of the title, the album plays like a romp through post-apocalyptic America.