June 5th, 2007
"It's All Been Downhill Since The Talkies Started To Sing" by Hallelujah The Hills
Hallelujah The Hills is the title of an obscure 1963 film, but the band by that moniker is more reminiscent of a Polyphonic Spree/Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! hybrid in sound and aesthetic. The Boston's band debut does feature a tiny bring-the-people-together campfire element, complete with a cappella sing-along. Ultimately, however, Hallelujah is essentially a more cynical animal with a fleshed-out indie-rock post-post-post-Neutral Milk Hotel kitchen-sink agenda (trumpet, Moog, cello, etc). The mostly solid pop songwriting feels like it comes from a fourth or fifth album, and the songs vary from gentle acoustic numbers to blown-out, instruments-raging psych-lite. On its website, Hallelujah The Hills promises it will make 33 albums before disbanding. The "great" album may be somewhere in the remaining 32 chances, but this isn't a shabby introduction.
A.V. Club Rating: B
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