[ArtistOTD] Hullabaloo

Artist: Hullabaloo
Genre: New Soul
Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK.
Website: http://hullabalooband.bandcamp.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hullabaloouk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HullabalooBand

Today’s artist from our very own South Wales roots come causing a right ruckus, in the form of rock ‘n’ roll band, Hullabaloo. This 6-piece outfit produce a wonderful sound placing them at the very heart of an indie-pop-rock-soul-funk Venn diagram. Their refreshing clatter of noise is created through a funky fusion of a vast array of instruments. The lively musical numbers created by this sprightly bunch include pianos and brass as well as the usual guitars, bass and drums.

To date, the gang have fashioned one EP released in the summer earlier this year on July 16^th. This release highlights an impressive introduction to the music industry for Hullabaloo who formed just last year in October 2011. The EP titled ‘Landslide’ is a five-track offering, available to purchase now for just £3 on their bandcamp site.

There is an abundance of energy portrayed throughout the EP which kicks off in style with ‘Found A New Way’, and in particular it’s effective use of brass and organs. This is followed by the sure-fire future signal ‘All Shapes and Sizes’, which incorporates one fine sounding piano solo polishing off the funky clamour on a solid rock base. This is a fun, poppy tune, ticking all the boxes of a radio-friendly banger with its fabulous production and sheer catchiness. This is certainly the band’s champagne track but should not detract away from any of the other four tracks on the record. In particular, the brass-filled ‘Landslide’ and the punk-rock-infused riffs on ‘DoYou Think I’m Crazy Enough?’. This is a continued theme moving onto the final track on the record, ‘Leave This Town’. There is a more ska-punk feel to this than the more indie and poppy introduction to the EP. A switch up in tempo applied for the chorus is a welcome surprise proving to be a more than adequate rounding off to a generally fun-filled, vibrant and spirited debut EP.

Finally, for both your listening and viewing pleasure, here is the creative video for the EP title-track, ‘Landslide’:

Matthew Evans