Herschel Hoover is an indie rock band from Washington, D.C.
As this recording begins it seems to be more on the gentle or mellow side. That’s really not accurate though, as this album goes on it starts to become ominous, introspective and otherworldly. Every song on High Grade Migraine has a serene and impassioned mood. Herschel Hoover expertly builds the intensity and magnitude as the tracks go on, it’s quite well orchestrated, it’s clear that Herschel Hoover is a very creative songwriter. The music is upbeat and exciting throughout, but still has its moments of serenity and sorrow.
One of the standouts on this is “lush”. It is a stellar song, peaceful and laid back. There are so many well written songs on this album, and there are so many differences between them it’s worth listening to High Grade Migraine more than once to take everything in. There are some emotional peaks and more quiet and introspective motions, but that makes the whole thing feel more cohesive and original. In some cases, the more difficult music is to define, the more artistic and creative tends to be. Herschel Hoover has all the sadness and anger of the punk and indie rock scene while being different and weird enough that his music still feels distinct and contemporary. The fury is earnest in the many heavy breakdowns of the latter half of these recordings, there’s real emotion stands out in a profound way.
I’ve also been fortunate enough to see Herschel Hoover perform live, and he puts on a great show every time.
For show listings and more information about Herschel Hoover, visit http://www.herschelhoover.com
Glory In Sound 