VON HOLDEN'S SELF-TITLED IS STRONG STUFF

Delawarean Rockers Von Holden open their self-titled on a very ambient, wide-open, note: softly shimmering guitars, thumping drums, then warm, worn vocals on top of the serene instrumental with terse, poetic recollections. That's Von Holden's brand in a nutshell, everything they do best, right out of the gate. "Sane" is a moving opener, just its first two and a half minutes are a clear indicator of that, much less the five that follow. On the latter half, New Castle's finest guide in a serrated distortion guitar, as smoothly as the tide, much in line with gently psychedelic greats like Built to Spill or Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. It's a foggy sound, not as neon-lit as most 60s rock, but spaced-out and distant nonetheless, carrying the spirit-rattling qualities of heavier bands without losing an ounce of nuance.

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Track two, "Sorry Kid", turns the record towards more foot-stomping rock n' roll, driven by slinking, effect-drenched lead guitars that drop into place with a thrashing rhythm section and backing vocals for a hook that's virtually sonic quicksand. Next, "Jacked Up/Played Out" parts a sea of echoes to something groovy, with audible adoration for classic rock ballads, much in the vein of Queens of The Stone Age or good old Zeppelin. It's a perfect soundtrack for a bar scene in an art-house genre film, bitter enough inside but smooth on the surface. 

"Jackrabbit" opens with a slow, all-encompassing explosion of raw sound, ripping out the roots of the smooth, mid-tempo groove of the record so far, pushing things forward in tempo and force, but never losing sight of that dreamy feel that makes Von Holden great. It's a haunting song, much like the rest of the record, but you can bop your head to this one. 

"Off the Cuff" starts the album's back end even dirtier, but still balanced - which makes the opening to follow-up track "D.S.L" and its bone-crunching fuzz guitars even more of a gut punch. Opening on a grandiose high point is a maneuver Von Holden has mastered. It's a move that does wonders for sucking the listener down the drain into the ambient closer, "Big Ol Bug". The whole record is a smooth blend of rock influences from the 1960s to the 2000s, without dating itself for even a moment. Strong stuff.