The latest effort from Greg Hoy gives off a wonderful blend of indie rock, pop, and even plenty of classic rock influences that show face throughout the full-length album, and throughout it all you get a hold of this character that he gives off and this is something that you end up becoming very attached to.
The release gives a very personal touch, and I don't think that Greg holds much back in the way of lyrics when he's writing his songs so that personality is delivered right on the forefront which I think is refreshing and also makes the record feel authentic.
A lot of the tracks have a very unique way of sort of growing into something bigger at times and some songs have a very lush cinematic sort of backbone to them that I enjoyed especially because it helps these songs feel alive and breathing it at certain times.
This record plays out almost like a diary and the songs are like different chapters in Greg's life and as you listen deeper and deeper, you start to get a feel for who he is as a person and not just an artist.
Jazzy elements start to come into play about halfway through and you start to pick up on different influences that the artist has been soaking into about his years loving music.
This sort of contemporary undertone is almost a staple throughout the record, and it works like a charm because it still gives off a lot of color and a great energy, but it keeps things in a certain place dynamically.
There are certainly more than a few surprises around the corners of this record, and you can tell that he loves what he's doing while he's doing it.
Maybe recording his music is when he's in his bubble or his own if you will and that's his little magic spot where he can let it all out and be free.
This sense is picked up throughout the record as well.
There is a great combination of poppy acoustic singles and ballad-style songs that bounce back and forth, and it lets the record breathe which I feel is important, but all the songs have this heart and this persona attached to them and that is really what drives the whole thing.
Further into the record you even get elements of Americana, and you begin to understand how Greg Hoy has a knack for writing songs that hook themselves into you and have meaning for himself, but the overall genre I guess you would say, is not really what's important.
He's writing songs for the passion of doing it and to get things off of his chest, and to just do it so the songs are genuine, and the subgenres come through depending on how he was feeling that day or what he felt like recording.
I love this because it gives you a sense of realness to the record and you end up letting yourself get engulfed in it all.
The whole record starts with the track called "Oh No" which boasts that classic rock tonality and begins to introduce you to the slightly outside-the-box but welcoming songwriting style that you can expect more of throughout the record.
This track is catchy but it's catchy in its unique way and other songs serve well as singles also, but I feel like this is the kind of record that you were meant to listen to from beginning to end.
This is songwriting-wise, the only way you can soak in all the different approaches songwriting wise and get all the stories as well to kind of piece things together almost like it's a concept album.
This is something I adore because I come from a time. Where you would buy an album whether it was a CD, cassette tape, or even a vinyl record.
When you took it home you listened to the whole thing, and it was an experience.
We live in a much more single-based society these days which I find a little bit saddening but with artists like Greg Hoy releasing full albums that are meant to be listened to as full albums, it brings me some joy.
As an artist and as a person he must have a little bit of an old soul or at least some old school in him in terms of just his personality and that bleeds into his musicianship as well.
This was a bountiful record that has a lot to give, certainly has some heart to it, plenty of honesty, and a unique approach which I found myself having a lot of fun swimming through.
But don't take my word for it, have a listen to this record when you can, and you'll see exactly what I mean.
Remember where you heard it first.