A 25-track album makes one immediately skeptical. After all, what are the chances that most of these songs will be good ones? However, at 38 minutes total runtime, it might be helpful to think of this record as a collection of mini-songs—an experience suited for those of us with attention deficits.
El HollÃn’s genre is difficult to pinpoint. Certainly, the album follows the trend of lo-fi, offbeat indie-folk-rock championed by the likes of Jeff Mangum, but it’s instrumentation and pop sensibility render the record as something novel. Several auxiliary instruments make Pleasure-Puncher dynamic as hell.
While she’ll probably win no “American Idol†competitions, lead vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Dena Zilber delivers her vocals in a refreshingly nonchalant and honest manner. The other band members, all multi-instrumentalists themselves, hold their own in a quirky sort of way. In fact, “quirky” is perhaps El HollÃn’s most defining characteristic. The subject matter of the songs, nonetheless, can be quite serious.
Like what you just read? Support Flagpole by making a donation today. Every dollar you give helps fund our ongoing mission to provide Athens with quality, independent journalism.
