poppedmusic

Red Rum Club

The Hollow Sessions

Words: Gary Lambert

Red Rum Club are one of the most loved bands around the country on the live scene.  Every gig is a sweaty celebration of joy, of rock n roll, and of the collective power generated by a gang of mates in tune with each other.  When their music is put to record there is tendency for me as a listener to search out that energy, throw the volume to the max, and throw shapes around the room or my mind (if I’m walking through town).  This is to the detriment of the music because Matador and The Hollow of Humdrum aren’t treated as the pieces of art they are.

Now though Red Rum Club have found a way to showcase their songwriting brilliance with The Hollow Sessions.  This album is a selection of songs from Matador and The Hollow of Humdrum given the acoustic treatment.  It is a brave and confident move to put your music out to the world in this format.  There is no room for hiding.  It’s like telling someone you love them for the first time in the middle of a silent art gallery. And they tell you they love you back.  It is perfect, it is beautiful.  It could have gone wrong, but instead you have this new moment of magic.  That’s how it feels listening to these twelve songs.  The songs in this format take me from wherever I am and put me into the studio as the lads sculpt delicate butterfly wings from granite. It goes without saying that it is still has loud moments.  After all, it has “Joe The Blow” and quiet trumpet is oxymoronic for a reason.  But with the stripped down guitars, brushed drums and Fran balancing his vocals between whisper and growl, The Hollow Sessions sounds beautiful, made for putting on your headphones and sitting on a bench in the sunshine watching the world pass by. The Hollow Sessions, I love you.

Listen to The Hollow Sessions here:

300 Copies of The Hollow Sessions have been made on limited edition vinyl. You can grab your copy here .