The Hollowpoints – Old Haunts on the Horizon

Throw in one part Dillinger Four, another part Riverboat Gamblers, and a load of politically charged texts on society’s ills, and you get Seattle punk group The Hollowpoints.  Formed back in 2001, the quartet has largely existed under the radar, surfacing every three to five years for a new bout of fresh material.  In fact, their solphomore effort and Sailor’s Grave Records debut, Old Haunts On The Horizon, follows a lengthy five years after 2005’s The Black Spot.  And while I can’t profess familiarity of the band up until this point, Old Haunts On The Horizon has me wishing I had much sooner.

The Hollowpoints boast all the essentials of a modern classic, with a down to earth sound best described as a sloppy, poppy – occasionally rocky – brand of punk rock.  Vocalist “Matty” McKinney – with his soft but throaty delivery – could easily stand in for Dillinger Four’s Patrick Costello.  But his steady rhythmic sense also begs comparisons with Riverboat Gamblers’ flowing vocal melodies.  And with comparisons like that, you can be rest assured that Old Haunts is chalk full with catchy hooks and genuine grit.  When placed against a backdrop of recurrent gang vocals, big choruses, and a beat that just never gives up, the tunes are easy to take in, fun to sing along with, and intelligible to contemplate.

Speaking of which, from a lyrical standpoint The Hollowpoints know how to act serious without compromising their fun factor.  For instance, tracks like “God Save Anna Nicole” at first sound innocent and uplifting, opening with a trivial “Hollywood newsflash,” only to end with brow raisers like “we bleed red white and blue, another dead American,” and rounding the track out with a judgment about Republicans distracting ill informed citizens from “real problems.”  Other times, like in “Service Is Our Business” or “Dharma,” they’re relaying their ideology with references to Iraq and a slanted media.  And if that all sounds very heavy, not to worry, even political activists know that we all need a break from bleak realities sometimes – and that’s where some basic drinking songs like “Gonzo” jump in to cool the nerves.

Old Haunts On The Horizon is an incredibly solid listen from start to finish.  While you won’t find any surprises here, when it comes to The Hollowpoints, that’s a good thing.  They’re a good old-fashioned punk rock band armed with big hooks and an activist’s agenda.  An easy recommendation for fans of hook-heavy political punk.