One Track Mind

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Oh, Glory. Oh, Wilderness., the third album from Gainesville indie rock outfit Holopaw, will be released on November 3rd by their new home, Bakery Outlet Records. The band, who began amassing a following with their first two records for Sub Pop, is helmed by songwriter John Orth, who is just as well known for his collaborations with Modest Mouse‘s Isaac Brock under the Ugly Casanova moniker. For Holopaw’s third record, the band has elaborated upon the simplicity and intimacy of their first releases, adding more instrumentation to the mix courtesy of guests from friends in acts including Mahogany and The Good Good. The resultant recordings feature a New Orleans funeral procession’s worth of sounds: piano (both traditional and electric), cello, pedal steel, trumpet, accordion, clavinet, pedal steel, clarinet, trombone, and organ all make their mark alongside the standard rock combo regulars.

This richness is intimated by the album’s first track, “The Art Teacher and the Little Stallion,” which introduces the Little Stallion character whose adventures are chronicled in the eleven songs. Its opening moments are anchored by electric guitar and Orth’s shivering vocals, whose timbre bears more than a passing resemblance to those of The Lucksmiths‘ Tali White. After a few moments, however, the story here becomes the dense instrumentation and inventive vocal harmonies, which combine to give the song a great sense of scope and richness. While it is a bold departure from Holopaw’s earlier recordings, it is one that sounds natural and elegant. Although there are frequently many instruments at play during any given moment, they work in concert, never clamoring for attention or one-upping each other. The orchestration also emphasizes the emotional potency which has long been Holopaw’s calling card, making “The Art Teacher and the Little Stallion” one of the band’s most compelling listens to date.