by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Vox and the Hound's latest album Aloha Shores is all over the map. The record swerves between avant-folk, new wave inspired pop, and space funk jubilance. It's an album that wears its weirdness proudly, unafraid to skip from genre to genre with little concern for preconceived cohesion. The New Orleans based quintet (which features All People/Community Records' own Daniel "D-Ray" Ray on keys, trombone, etc) never stay in the same place too long, after all, there are things to do and sounds to explore. Combining majestic prog, bold folk, post-punk, and the rest of the kitchen sink, Aloha Shores is a certified grab bag of an eclectic vision.
"Worn," the album's second single is captivating post-punk with a deep appreciation of art-pop and Talking Heads' skewed whimsy. The song is funky, self-aware, and glistening with hooks at every turn. Built on a carnival like horn rhythm, sultry bass lines, skittering grooves, and doubled vocals in just the right moments, this is an auditory celebration; pure unadulterated fun with a sax lead to bring down the damn house. It's strange and confident, adding and subtracting layers with moments notice; a perfectly compressed dose of retro futurism from a band coloring outside the lines. Get down. Let yourself go. Feel the funk.
Vox and the Hound's Aloha Shores is out March 31st via Community Records. The band will celebrate the album's release on Saturday, April 1st at New Orleans' Three Keys with Renshaw Davies and YRSTRLY.