Review Summary: Howl Howl Gaff is monotonous at best; it has its moments, but they're too few and far between.
Shout Out Louds hail from Stockholm, Sweden. The quintet is your typical indie rock outfit, comparable to Band of Horses. “Howl Howl Gaff Gaff” was their debut album, released internationally in 2005.
Today indie rock is everywhere, commercials, movies, you name it. With so much indie circulating I find myself being less appreciative of the average group, searching for something special or powerful, whether it creativity, expert songwriting, or even onstage antics or a unique voice. Alas, Shout Out Louds are not one of those groups. Enjoyable at times, on
Howl Howl Gaff Gaff all I hear has been done before, and better.
You may have heard “The Comeback”. Released as a single, it is the opener to the album, and that’s about all it is. Mundane lyrics and a catchy refrain are all it really has to offer. Segueing into track two however, Shout Out Louds create something special. “Very Loud” is incredible. What I consider a perfect driving song, it has a churning, racing feel to it. The verse builds a lot of energy which is perfectly released in the anthemic chorus. A single like the track before it, it is my favorite song on the record. Another enjoyable one is “A Track and a Train”. A ballad, the song strikes the listener gently with its hazy chorus. Singer Adam Olenius’ voice takes on a synth-like lisp as he sings
and my heart beats faster than safe / faster than the train in my mind. It is a stand-out track, and probably the last of them on the album; please note we are still discussing the first four out of eleven songs.
The band tries the soft ballad approach again on “Go Sadness”, and it turns out alright. Still, it is overwhelmingly mediocre, and with the abundance of indie rock groups to choose from, mediocre just doesn’t cut it. 100° is a more upbeat track with a weird synthesized melody. Altogether forgettable, it gains some energy in the chorus and especially the outro, however it’s just pretty dull. The lengthy closer is enjoyable and the subsequent hidden track fun, but it’s too little too late.
It’s sad really. Shout Out Louds as an ensemble sound really great. I really like the singers voice, and the mallet percussion and occasional synthesizers are very harmonious to the music. Unfortunately, the songwriting is lacking. The design of most of the tracks is near identical; a few verses and choruses and then they climax for the ending. They’ve also not discovered any winning melodies or ideas, aside from those on “Very Loud”. Unless they strike an oil mine teeming with musical inspiration, this band will likely fade off into the dusk, with “Very Loud” serving as soundtrack to the melancholy event.
