One Track Mind

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New Jersey quartet The Black Hollies make the sort of music that wouldn’t be out of place on the soundtrack to a Wes Anderson film, somewhere between the sweaty, soulful rave-ups of The Spencer Davis Group and the distinctly British branch of the late 1960s psychedelic-pop tree. On October 6th, the band released their third LP, Softly Towards the Light, on the Ernest Jenning Record Co. and are currently on tour in support of the album. This time around, guitarist Jon Gonnelli put down his six string in favor of a tremulous organ, a maneuver that complements the band’s m.o. nicely and really helps flesh out The Black Hollies’ sound.

With its fluttering open notes and thumping backbeat, “Gloomy Monday Morning” makes its intentions known from the start. Softly Towards the Light‘s second track is a more muscular take on the aforementioned ’60s aesthetic–replete with thick vocal harmonies but packing a much heavier wallop than the songs it was inspired by, much like Inspiral Carpets when they felt like being more accessible. Three-quarters of the way through comes a druggy bridge whose tolling bells and faux strings are entirely spot on. Lyrically, the song is about as literal as they come, using the titular theme (“Gloomy monday morning / I’ll never make it to work on time”) as the backdrop for falling in love with a woman seen standing on a corner (“Baby, let me be your man”). While it is a thin conceit, The Black Hollies make it work amid the stellar melodies and rim rattling groove, much as they get away with the final isolated refrain. In the end, however, all that matters is that you’ll want to listen to “Gloomy Monday Morning” again and again. It may even make you feel a little better about those gray skies overhead.