Hear and Now - Hear and Now

Hear and Now

Hear and Now
self-released; 2015

3.6 out of 5

By Andrew Westberry

Hear and Now has released their audacious debut self-titled album Hear and Now that combines vintage and modern, acoustic and electric, and dissonance and harmony in creative, vivacious ways. The band has been influenced by numerous classic rock and roll bands, giving rise to a unique sound that sounds familiar, yet new.

“For My Sake,” a balmy beach tune composed of foot-tapping beats, exuberant singing and carefree, memorable melodies, starts the album off on a great note. The next song “Sobering Up” is similarly catchy and it makes prolific use of unorthodox, interesting chords and harmonies. The energy of the album continues to climb through “Simple,” a wistful ballad about a lost lover and “Fate of Tonight,” a synthesizer-laden anthem featuring atmospheric reverb and stadium-esque echoes.

While instrumentation and background singers are certainly important, they are usually uninspired unless complemented by a competent, talented lead singer. This is a huge factor that sets Hear and Now apart from similar bands. Carl Kondrat’s mellow smooth voice tinged with an edge of vibrato makes the songs extremely easy and pleasing to listen to. His ability to alter the tone of his voice for more belligerent songs like “Feeling of Falling” and “Sorry I’m Not Sorry” speak even louder to his gift as a voice artist.

As the album progresses, the songs never once abate in their enthusiasm; if anything, they gradually intensify in emotion, peaking at the end of “Sorry I’m Not Sorry,” a song bordering between rock and roll and screamo. The album rides out the wave through the last three songs without any remarkable surprises.

The sheer diversity and distinct sounds that appear on Hear and Now bespeak a raw aptitude for producing quality music, characteristics that will undoubtedly propel Hear and Now towards  success.

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