The Triangle

Issue date: 6/5/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Hoots & Hellmouth

Hoots and Hellmouth keeps pressing on with the release of its second full-length album, which guitarist Sean Hoots fittingly describes as "new music for old souls."

"The Holy Open Secret," on Drexel's MAD Dragon Records, dropped June 2 and, whether familiar or not with the trio's unique brand of uplifting progressive revival, the sultans of string are guaranteed to get you on your feet and moving.

Guitarists Sean Hoots and Andrew "Hellmouth" Gray along with Rob Berliner on mandolin have been touring extensively since the band's formation in 2005, showcasing their whirlwind of soul infused Americana at over 150 events in 2008 alone. The result is the triumphant return of Hoots and Hellmouth's rocking rhythmic roots music as chronicled in "The Holy Open Secret."

The album kicks off strong with my two must-listen tunes. "Root of the Industry" opens the album with virtuosic picking, soaring banjo, and almost Bob Dylan-like lyrics, everything laced as usual with smooth harmonious three part vocals. They keep up peak energy with the upbeat "You And All Of Us" delivering a message of importance in unity. The boys let their versatility shine through with slower more experimental soft rock tunes like "Ne'er Do Well" and "Dishpan Hands" sometimes even taking on a gospel quality within vocal harmonies. The album eventually wraps up with "Roll, Brandywine, Roll" inspired by the Brandywine River of Chester County, Pa., which puts you on that very river in the most serene of settings.

Always the working band, I had the chance to talk with Gray while the band was driving down to a show in Knoxville with bass player John Brannigan.

You guys take that foot-stompin' live-party feel wherever you go, but where do you record that allows that to translate into your albums?

Andrew "Hellmouth" Gray: We recorded at American Diamond Studios with Bill Moriarty. He produced the Dr. Dog albums and Man Man.

What was your favorite part of recording the album?

AHG: Just kind of learning how each song requires a different approach I think, and not being settled on one approach for the whole project. I think the best way to describe it is servicing the song. So you might have a song where you record all the rhythm instruments on different tracks at once, you might start off with just a click track and layer on that and again, each song required a different process.

Continued...

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