| Evan Hillhouse is an astoundingly good, remarkable pop record by quite the unlikely boy in the batter's box. |
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Evan Hillhouse
s/t
Striped Rock (2006)
There is nothing more exciting than finding a new artist who knocks the musical ball so far out of the park on the first pitch that it makes his career right off the bat. It happened this past February when Chris Brown aimed for the parking lot with his truly tremendous debut album Now that You're Fed, and it has happened again in the here and now with the release of an astoundingly good, remarkable pop record by quite the unlikely boy in the batter's box.
Evan Hillhouse is his name and, dig this: He's only in high school, he plays just about all of the instruments on his very first album, he sings with a maturity that singers twice his age don't always have, and he is an accomplished writer of the nine songs and one instrumental that populate this self-titled masterpiece. This is seriously great stuff, the stuff of a legend in the making, as catchy as catchy can be, and please remember that you heard it here first.
Oh, first, first there is a lovely instrumental theme that sets the stage, an accordion providing a bit of an international flavor, a theme that doesn't in the least even hint at what is to come. Then, like a rocket ship making a fast getaway to the stars, comes the lively, foot-stomping pop of "I Love it Like You" with a smattering of Beach Boys harmonies, a tasty, treated guitar solo, and clever lyrics that celebrate a thriving relationship that may every so often feel some strain: "And when I'm away, I'm lonely/The bleak rooms and this draining story/It is honest and captivating/A reservation, I'm watching the show."
The freight train that is the fevered, energized jazz-pop of "Green Arrow" flies by like a cool summer breeze as Hillhouse spins a tale of true love in a tune that owes a tip of the hat to the group America. The uncertainty of a one-night-stand is examined in the bouncy "Sleeping with a Friend," punctuated by a stinging guitar solo by Hillhouse. The animated balladry of "Nothing to Lose" tells the story of the guy who gets the girl, loses the girl and pacifies his sadness with the empty act of retrospection: "Thinking back to the start/Cause we're still apart/I'd say/She would surely chose (sic) me/I should have foreseen/This day." Mellotron strings give this great song room to breathe as Hillhouse's masterful drums punctuate the beat.
"Making the Most of It," informed by the spirit of Ben Folds, rocks most assuredly before settling into a light, tempered, jazzy motif that very nicely sets the stage for this incredible album's final four songs. First up: the lyrically obtuse, Theremin-infused "Can't Stop Saying Yes," deriving inspiration from both Harry Nilsson and George Harrison. Then, a trio of fine songs that any songwriter would write a blank check to call his own: "Dramatic Reruns," either the story of a person trying to move past a bad relationship that ran its course a long time ago, or the story of a person trying to convince himself that the relationship is over when it may not actually be--take your pick; the epic "Reason to Live," in which Hillhouse's inner Beatles and Beach Boys get a good, sweaty workout; and the delicate balladry of "Hanging by a Thread," a terrific album closer that only leaves the listener wanting more.
Hillhouse's talent is more than evident; it drips, in fact, out of every pore of this album, recorded by Curt Piar like a charm with each instrument clear as a bell and the stereo soundfield perfectly balanced. Beautifully sequenced, Evan Hillhouse seems to run back into itself as the last, strained backwards sounds of "Hanging by a Thread" fade out and fade back in again at the start of the kickoff instrumental, "Theme." Makes for a nice, complete trip around the block and a great first effort by an amazing artist who just happens to be in high school. You were once, too, you know.
Anyone wanting to see how it's done, look no further than the amazing Evan Hillhouse.
Alan Haber
June 18, 2006
Go to: Evan Hillhouse