When we discovered Hollow River, we were greeted by the following line: “Pop-Punk-Rapper who dropped out of Berklee with one semester left”. Well, – we thought – there surely must be a damn good reason for it? You don’t throw away an academic journey into one of the most prestigious music colleges in the world that easily. Unless… the creative fire living inside you has gotten so ripe and ready to explode that you need to get out in the real world, directing your artistry wherever it might take you.
Hollow River does exactly that: he champions a nuanced, fierce and euphoric style, blending fresh rap vocals with gritty pop-punk influences. As suggested to us, a fictitious collab between Eminem and Blink 182. Pretty enticing, isn’t it? Lucky for us, the Toronto-based talent has a new EP which we can explore: ‘Back Bay Dropout’, a four-piece sonic collection which also marks the project’s first release via NineTone Records.
Introduced by ‘Aspartame’, the EP gifts the listener ukulele-powered energy, before jumping into full-spectrum punk in the chorus. Hollow River’s vocals are so hypnotising when listened to, especially against a ukulele. ‘The Way I Want To’ is decisively more poignant, raising also the instrumental charge. ‘I’ll Break Then Down’ is an exciting push into early 2000’ pop-punk, a nostalgic offering for all 30 years olds out there. ‘Ignite’ brings the record to a close in kaleidoscopic fashion, bordering alt-rock influences and a darker sonic outlook – also the most Eminem-like piece so far.
Recommended! Discover ‘Back Bay Dropout’ on Spotify:
