After releasing their self-titled debut Hydra Plane, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana trio known as Hydra Plane follow up less than a year later with II. Carrying on their improvisational structure of songwriting and playing, they delve deeper into psychedelic rock, funk, jazz, surf rock and indie rock. Comparatively, the styles and sounds heard on II are similar to artists such as King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, The Strokes, Pink Floyd, The Talking Heads, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Radiohead and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The trio - Jacob Stanley (guitar/vocals), Eric Stewart (bass guitar) and Stephen Nelson (drums) have already gained a good reputation in their home turf and in New Orleans, where they currently reside. They’ve also toured playing gigs in Memphis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville and St. Louis, and are currently planning a tour for next year.
The opening guitar riffs on “Love Misunderstood” sound like a great classic ‘80s new wave tune. The drums sounds as natural as natural can be – which in my opinion, is a damn sweet sound and the solo breaks get into an even more new wave vibe. So, my answer then – give it a listen. On “Grand Theatre of Irony” the bass lines lead in heavy and the song’s overall structure is a cross between groovy pop from the ‘60s but with a newer twist, like a throwback sound, but without sounding over the top. Oh yeah, and the guitar solo is tasty! “Girl with Fashion Sense” reminds me a little of ABC, the Smiths and the Squeeze rolled into one – but minus the mopey, narcissistic stuff Morrissey usually writes about. “Bittersweet Daydream” fades in with a dreamy sounding guitar riff and a jerky jumping drum beat. I heard a bit of the bass but it’s more subdued in this number, until a break happens when the drums cut out and the bass goes into a crazy good solo. Of course, being the nerd that I am when it comes to instrumentals, I couldn’t get enough of this one – simply lovely. “Shake to Incorporate” starts off with a jazzy drum beat, a free form bass line and psyched out guitar effects that keep getting better as the music progresses. Then, the trio breaks into a funk so deep and groovy, and later into a sweet jazz style, so that I’m instantly transported to a higher level I’ve only dreamed about. The lyrics drop in half way with an echo effect. Give this one a listen too – you won’t regret it. “Uncle Fuck” really gets down and groovy with a danceable beat and bass line. The guitar is low as the bass takes center stage embellished with a sweet sound of a warbly effect pedal. This is another fantastic instrumental that was strong start to finish. “Causality” begins with the sound of the tom-tom drums, and high smooth sounding guitar riffs, until the trio breaks into a fast and frenzied punk infused mash up. In my view, this tune was perhaps the band’s strongest in terms of musical styles and composition – I mean, my mind was blown – and yes, oh yes, another sweet instrumental. “Nothing Was the Same” begins with a mellower style with some higher intense points throughout. It felt to me a mix of trippier tunes from the ‘70s alongside soft rock-jazz. The groove and swing with “Sweat Rag” is so damn fantastic, I just can’t get the right words enough to express how damn fantastic it is! I guess, if you love jazz, funk and the sounds of a trumpet – or in other words, a band called Fat Rudy, that may no longer be around – then you can’t go wrong with this one. And yes, another instrumental, but eh… who’s counting? “Blue and Yellow” has a lounge sound in an old school jazz kind of way – I mean, these guys nailed that nostalgic feel very well I’d say. Lastly, with “Bad Witch” the longest of the eleven-song album, comes an intro narration by Emily Mccollister. After that, a steady fast beat and rhythm from the bass with vocals by Chloe Marie. This song had a different feel and it could be because it seemed more lyrically heavy and had a more traditional rock song arrangement than the others. The trio gets really tight musically and overall the feel inside the song was hauntingly good. Another stellar tune. I may be biased because I love the many styles that Hydra Plane lays down throughout their album, but seriously – I feel these improvisational virtuosos are the real deal. And even if this Baton Rouge trio are only doing it for fun, well then – keep doing what you’re doing! And please, come up north – I’ll be the first in line to your show.
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