The Hildys - Kudos

The Hildys

Kudos
self-released; 2020

3.8 out of 5

By J. J. Thayer

Kudos is the second EP from Denton, TX’s The Hildys. They’re a four-piece indie rock band, with members playing multiple instruments. Mariah Johnson handles vocals, guitar and bass; Avery Lyda contributes vocals, piano and guitar. Brothers Jeremiah McGhee (guitar/bass/vocals) and Jameson McGhee (drums) round out the group.

The Hildys cite the Smashing Pumpkins as an influence, and you can hear it right away on the opening track “Greer Garson”. The verse offers high-register bass and crunchy suspended-chord guitar work which leads into a distorted-power-chord driven, poppy chorus. The Hildys add their own twist with a shout along, call-and-response section, inviting us to “pick up the pieces” and “bury the hatchet.”

The group uses both male and female vocals, and they’re at their best when they layer the vocals together. “To The Surface” uses this technique effectively to offer a nice counterbalance to the droning, distorted guitar.

“Water Won’t Flow” is the highlight of the album. The band set a nice 12/8 feel, against some George Harrison-like picking. The layered male/female vocals make it interesting and give The Hildys their sound. The song development is good too: there’s a bit of dissonance in the pre-chorus, which leads to a well-produced, heavy chorus. They finish the track (and EP) by slamming a bunch of drop-D open chords and send us off into a fun, distorted haze.

Taking it all together, Kudos is almost two mini-EPs in one. “Greer Garson” and “Water Won’t Flow” bookend the set. They’re more developed, more layered songs that include guest studio performers. The middle two tracks (“To The Surface” and “Bugs”) are similar: punky, fuzz-guitar tunes. They’re fine, but in the context of the other tracks, they feel a bit underdeveloped.

​The Hildys have something distinctive with their vocal approach. I hope they continue to develop it, and I look forward to their future releases.

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