Slow Hollows

Live in Portland December 18, 2017 | Doug Fir

Just two years out of high school, Slow Hollows sprawl out on the road with transmissions that represent a classic sound forged in the fires of the ‘90s indie rock scene. Austin Feinstein’s vocals have a style that combines the lounge lizard swagger of Julian Casablancas, with the lackadaisical energy of Stephen Malkmus, intermixed with the emotional glamour reminiscent of Brandon Flowers. The musical approach incorporates a sound similar to early Modest Mouse mixed with the flowing, yet sharp sounds of early Sunny Day Real Estate.

Slow Hollows’ most recent release, Romantic, tackles subjects saturated with a sense of emotional apathy mixed with heartache and confusion. Coming from the mind and heart of a guy that is below the legal age to drink alcohol, the subject matter and composition of Romantic is refreshingly mature, well thought out and impressively conveyed. The album brings the addition of trumpet and saxophone, incorporating a certain soul swaying intoxication while offering a series of energetic bursts that merge well with the sound. The rhythms have a certain complexity as two drummers switch off throughout the album. The youthful energy mixed with a sound that the Portland indie rock scene was born of, which Slow Hollows encapsulate, should prove to be warmly welcomed this month at the Doug Fir.