Hello From Waveland

"Strangeways" is the debut release from Seattle-based vintage popsters Hello From Waveland. The band recorded this album during the rainy months last winter in their basement studio using a combination of an old analog tape machine and a fancy new computer. The result is an album of striking depth that offers listeners something rewarding with every spin. The melodies sung by lead singer/guitarist Michael Jaworski are sure to draw comparisons to Sugar-era Bob Mould in both tone and emotional content, but this album is not a one dimensional affair.

The melodies sung by lead singer/guitarist Michael Jaworski are sure to draw comparisons to Sugar-era Bob Mould in both tone and emotional content, but this album is not a one dimensional affair. The psych-tinged country pop of "Deepest Lake" explodes with a lushly orchestrated chorus that might never leave your mind. Songs vary in scope from the sparse and beautiful arrangements of "Trains & Earthquakes" - a song that features John Randolph's delicate slide guitar and heartwrenching lyrics of desolation and failing love - to the power pop rock of "Speaking4clapping" and "Powerless". Here the driving interplay of drummer Mat Mathews and bassist Doran Bastin might inspire dancing in even the most jaded intie hipster. "Strangeways" is a diverse offering of rock n' roll that should propel Hello From Waveland to the forefront of important new artists to emerge this year.