A pleasing pot-pourri of powered and punchy electro-pop from Hen Hoose Collective to confound your expectations.
ALTERING THE ALGORITHM
Scotland, the country, may not come immediately to mind as a haven for equality and the acceptance of other, but the evidence is shifting otherwise, certainly in musical circles, altering the algorithm. This 12 piece collective is the latest exemplar of that, encompassing a florid and fluid mix of personalities, with as many similarities as differences, celebrating each. Some names will be better known than others, depending upon in which circles you stir, but it is the names of Emma Pollock, of the Delgados, and Inge Thomson, accordionist and percussionist with Karine Polwart, that mean the most to me, probably meaning I should get out more.
BEN THE HOOSE
Anyone familiar with the patois of Glasgow will be aware the once standard greeting for a woman, “a’richt, hen?” Whilst it isn’t made explicit, I would be surprised if that didn’t have something to do with the name, the name chosen by Tamara Schlesinger, aka MALKA, whose baby this is, a groundbreaking female and non-binary songwriting and production arrangement. The idea was to highlight the talented pool of such songwriters in, initially, Scotland, upskilling the writers to become more confident in the production of their own music, collaboration being the key to that process.
Whilst upward of 700 individuals have benefited from Hen Hoose, via panels, events and workshops, over, so far, 6 years of existence, this release, on vinyl and digital, came out of 12 female and non-binary artists convening for a week of retreat, at Black Bay Studio, on the Isle of Lewis. Hence the album title. Alongside Pollock, Thomson and Schlesinger, the 12 include Susan Bear, SHEARS, Carla J.Easton, Frances McKee, AMUNDA, Djana Gabrielle, Jill Lorean, Cariss Crosbie and Ray Aggs.
The sound that best describes this mix of individuals, ranging in age between 30 and 60, could be described, loosely as dance/electronica, at least in the old money, if based more on songs than bpm. Electro-pop might be another. This is most apparent with track 4, In Control which, if they will forgive me, sounds like a deep cut from the Spice Girls, if with grunge guitar and bass writhing away, underneath the rippling synths. Choral vocals shout/sing and it is way better than I make it sound.
A SORT OF AMBIENT FOLK SONG
But we’re ahead of ourselves, as it is with the much more pastoral sound of Blessings Of The Day that the album opens, a sort of ambient folk song: “Everybody does what they do, nobody is judging you“, which is, by the way, a great mantra for the project, from any which direction you approach it. My copy doesn’t list any of the individual credits around writing, playing, singing, which adds to the overall collective ethos. Yes, I know they grouped, each day, in varying quartets, ahead bringing back to the round table. Enticing though it is to guess, I have little clue as to who did what. (But info, if so needed, is available, on Bandcamp.)
It is an attractive song, with deceptive layering of voices and instrumentation, imprinting enough to have me chanting that MO to the dogs, in their later walk. Flute and strings add context and contrast to the voices and the synthscape, making up the whole.
(With thanks to Siggy Stansfield for the photo)
WHO KNEW POP MUSIC COULD BE SUCH FUN?
Ego Death starts with a slackwristed indie chug of guitar, before building both into and then out of the preconception expected, developing into a hypnotic moan, underpinned by non-verbal voices. It is a terrific song. Neither these two openers are all that dancey, though, are they, it track 3 before that fully emerges, for Game For Two. Dare I say this reminds me of Britney, if in a good way. A catchy way. In Control I’ve mentioned, but I’m going to mention it again. Who knew pop music could be such fun?
Out Of My Mind takes the baton from In Control and runs further down that trajectory, over a dugga dugga rhythm that, whether organic or electric, has perfect drums. As are the quirky backing vocals, that sidle swiftly in sideways, like a pop-up you forgot to block. House style piano dips in and out, providing much the lower register ballast required, along with the sort of guitar that Nile Rogers would probably add. On a roll, Promise is a Heaven 17/Human Leaguey doozy. The vocals, if not baritone, are a smoky alto that slot into place with conviction and confidence.
KALEIDOSCOPIC WALL OF SOUND
In honesty, Rich (Katy’s In Space) took me a wee bit too far out my usual comfort zone, with the rap a struggle to accommodate, however admirable the Caledonian elocute given it. Colour me too old. But Sirens Call My Name tugged me right back in, with its indie shades of root note bass and chimes of guitar. The flute and strings are back to apply a sheen of exotica to the patina, with backing vocals all aswirl as the wall of sound becomes kaleidoscopic. A cross between the Lightning Seeds and the Beach, um, Female-and-Nonbinarys. (Sorry……)
And with the closing track being called Wipe Out, you might expect similar to continue, but no, it is rather a chippy little number with a hint of Bangle about it, with instrumentation that sounds either Oriental or from a Swiss Clock factory, depending on your stance. With strings and what could even be a banjo, it wraps things up well, in this first full length from the team.
SURPRISE YOURSELF!
This is not my usual fare, that much is true, but, having perhaps expected something a little folkier, not least in that I see, if not on this record, both Karine Polwart and Kathryn Williams are also members of the collective, I’m glad it wasn’t. Had it been presented as frothy and effervescent pop, I would have likely turned away, thus missing out on a slice of, integrally, fun. OK, fun with a message and a purpose, but, nonetheless. It’s short, too, at barely 30 minutes, but that mean there is shouldn’t be any issue with making time in your day. Go on, surprise yourself!
Here’s Sirens Call My Name:
Hen Hoose Collective: Website