The Hit Back
Album Review: The Hit Back – Who Are These Weird Old Kids
by Jamie Charmichael
With a unique sound that crosses musical genres, there are high expectations for the Chicago duo The Hit Back. The band describes their sound and genre as “electro folk”. And after listening to their full-length album entitled Who Are These Weird Old Kids (out April 26, 2011), the claim of the genre makes sense.
While recording the album, the duo – Jesse Hanabarger and Seth Weidmann – brought in Lindefelt to produce the album. Overall, the production of the album further explains the use of the term electro-folk, but never really mixes the two. The tracks are organized in a measurement of energy.
The first track “Me and the Kid,” is the closest to the mixture. There is a timeless echo to it presented by a more hollow sound than anything else on the album. It is a great first track and is high in production value and energy.
The following tracks are truly beautiful, slower ballads, but something that would typically be found at the end of an album. In the fourth track called “Everything Leaks” the use of a traditional piano and the interaction it has with the electronic clips tied into the song as well. The song that transitions the lo-fi to hi-fi is called “Sick of Sweets”. The connection is mostly due to the retro feel that the song has.
The album finishes off with a slow track with an exciting crescendo, unifying the tracks. Who Are These Weird Old Kids is excellent, with an interesting organization. The band is impressive as a duo and has exceeded my expectations with their first release.
Currently, they have one tour date scheduled. They will be performing on April 22 in Chicago, IL a few days before their album release. For now, listeners can go to The Hit Back’s BandCamp page to listen to a few tracks from the album, which is highly recommended.
Editor’s Note: Jamie Charmichael is a contributor to DeadJournalist.com. You can also follow her on Twitter: @jamiesweird.
