For any album to truly challenge structure or melody, there will be some elements which don’t breakthrough to the listener. These moments of inaccessibility exist in both the nature and definition of experimental music. That being said, avant pop provocateurs Hello Ocho have always been able to temper deliberate weirdness with an underground populism that works. Whether intentionally or unintentionally as musical risk management, the band has found success by pushing the listener beyond their comfort zone and then reeling us back in with gorgeous melodies and clever rhythms.
In the three-year gap between their self-titled debut and their sophomore LP, In Portuguese, Hello Ocho has perfected this methodology. Throughout the new album, the band utilizes a wild assortment of instrumentations which spill over into lush soundscapes before Chris Yonker and company corral them into delicate minimalism. The real key to the record, however, is the emotional backdrop which weaves everything together with a heart often missing in artsy experimental albums. Despite their predilection for pushing the envelope, Hello Ocho never become enamored with their own musicianship. Instead, they treat each vibraphone flourish and saxophone crescendo as a means to a decidedly spiritual end rather than components of a noodly jam session.
There is something for everyone within these nine tracks, but Hello Ocho’s tendency to try anything on their recordings and see what sticks results in a few bumpy stretches on this winding road of an album. From the Pet Sounds era Beach Boys vibes of the title track to the modern jazz inflected “Nail Tractor” to the psychedelic freakout “Orange Peel,” the group seems just as interested in disorienting their audience as they are in entrancing them. Though I was initially annoyed by what I perceived as lack of flow, after a few listens, I began enjoying the twists and turns.
This is an album that could have easily devolved into either psychedelic nonsense or FM radio jazz, yet Hello Ocho avoid both absurdity and boredom while thoroughly enjoying themselves. Hopefully we don’t have to wait another three years to hear their next LP, but if we do, the many musical mysteries within In Portuguese will help keep us entertained and impressed.
More Info
Web: hello-ocho.com
Bandcamp: helloocho.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @Hello-Ocho-104292336271719
Twitter: @helloocho