By When I first watched Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory as a child, the song “Pure Imagination” caught my ears. The accompanying scene where Gene Wilder introduces the whole gang to the chocolate room in his fabled factory is meant to draw you into his world. Arguably, this is one of the more innocent sections of this movie – let us not forget the strange acid trip tunnel scene that we as children (and possibly our parents) just glossed over.
I will say, however, that as I grew up and slowly saw this movie for what it was – sinister and very strange – something odd happened to “Pure Imagination” over time, as well. It too began to take on new qualities of strangeness and general uneasiness.
As a precursor to something dark and mysterious, The Hollow manages to cover the song with only a harp and vocal layering in the first track on their album CONTACT. Adhering strangely to the thematic pattern of the movie, the rest of the album erupts into a medley of distorted guitars, heavy bass riffs, and explosive vocals.
The Good:
Diversity and Dynamics – This record speaks volumes about what a holistic vision for an album can do. There are moments so small and contained as to be almost somber, and with the drop of a hat, a 200ft tall wave of sound suddenly crashes down on you. As far as influences are concerned, there is some of MUSE knocking around in this album. Specifically, MUSE’s 1999 Album Showbiz, before all the whacky synth stuff they tried out in the late 00s.
The Bad:
The production of the album betrays that grand vision at times. It seems that musically The Hollow reaches for the mountaintops, these wide sonic pallets that they work very hard to achieve. Instead of a 200ft wave, it seems like they ordered a 500ft wave and were delivered something that, while impressive, falls just short of a real tsunami. The album has depth, to be sure, but the final mix evades the high water mark.
The Verdict:
The Hollow is well on their way to defining what it really means to make a great piece of work. As a five-song E.P., or album, or whatever the hell we are calling records these days, it is very well thought out. The Hollow will surely be around for some time yet, and as they grow and change, I’m certain they will strive to realize that 500ft wave in their forthcoming albums.
Intentionality is a quality that should be encouraged and fostered in artists who are getting their footing, even if there is no guarantee that anyone will notice some of the tiny details. With that frame of reference, (SALT) Magazine will host a live-streamed interview with The Hollow on October 6th. You can tune in via this post, or watch on our Facebook page. Also, catch them at The Music District‘s Second Anniversary Party on the 29th, and again on First Friday at the Downtown Artery In Foco
The Hollow takes the stage at the newly renovated Marquis Theater in downtown Denver on Saturday, October 13th with The Trujillo Company, Thousand Frames, and Fort Collins’ own Bitter Suns. This is an EP release show you don’t want to miss! TICKETS HERE
