Hollow

Nashville based group Ferris & The Wheels released their debut EP Hollow a few short weeks ago. Although the disc only consists of five songs, their sound and songwriting is established enough to keep an eye on this band in the future. Listeners with a fondness for early to mid '90's rock will especially find something to enjoy.

Opener, and my personal favorite track, “Hold Your Tongue” provides evidence of some undeniable Tom Petty influence in lead singer Geoff Ferris’ vocals. In both sound and structure, the song sounds like it was plucked right out of a ‘90’s hit list alongside bands like the Gin Blossoms. If you haven’t been transported back to the ‘90’s yet, the use of harmonica here will quickly bring Blues Traveler to mind. The darker and harder title track “Hollow” was a bit confusing for me. In the chorus, Ferris sings “I gotta get away from this song, it’s too hollow.” Unless I’m completely misinterpreting the song, between its odd lyrics and long riffs “Hollow” seems like the band is having a bit of fun at the expense of modern rock. If so, amen to that.

Another favorite is the up-tempo “Let’s Get Into Something.” Ferris belting out lyrics like “I put it down – I picked it up” perfectly fits the theme of temptation and addiction. Finally, “Allow Me” is less of a complete song and more of an excuse for Ferris to show off his skills as a guitarist for a few minutes. If you’re a sucker for ‘90’s pop rock, Hollow is a must-listen. Highly recommended.