knox hamilton - the great hall

Knox Hamilton

The Great Hall
self-released; 2013

4.1 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

I don't know much about Knox Hamilton but after listening to their EP The Great Hall there is no doubt in my mind that these guys should be more recognized than they are. This is what I got. The band consists of Boots (bass, vocals, guitar), Brad (keys, vocals), Cobo (percussion, drums) and Drew (guitar) and they hail from Arkansas. 

The music they play bursts from the seams in numerous ways. It’s danceable, gives you more energy than Red Bull and is extremely catchy. They have a similar essence to bands like Passion Pit and Phoenix but get by on their own merits. The vocal work is pretty fantastic throughout the record. The voice has this exuberant quality that gets you just as excited as the vocalist is. I wanted to sing along with him.

The EP starts with “Work It Out.” After some tinkering the band explodes on the scene. Lead synths pave the way with clean guitars to create a triumphant sound. The verse enters and things simmer down a bit for the excellent vocal work to appear. The song reverts back to the triumphant beginning where the vocalist sings, “I know we can work it out.” “Beach Boy” is a badass tune that got me in the mood to get down. The silky vocals, synths, guitar, bass and drums combine to make an explosive song that should come with a warning that you may start spontaneously dancing.

“Lechuga” is a short synth piece while “Ameritown” gets back into the dance groove. All I could think about while listening to “Ameritown” was having a celebration at studio 54 back in the 70’s. the song made me think about the biggest party ever. The Great Hall ends with a short instrumental number called “Diet Love.”

I really enjoyed these guys. All I can say is that I want more. This EP was fun but felt like an appetizer. Please bring me the full-length as quickly as possible. 

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