Hovvdy: True Love [Album Review]

Hovvdy
True Love
Grand Jury Music [2021]

Hovvdy is the duo of Charlie Martin and Will Taylor, which now with True Love have four albums under their belt. This full length finds the pair both now married and Will became a father. It goes without saying that those life events easily can shape your current state of mind as True Love highlights all types of relationships that include family, friends and romance.

True Love harnesses the passionate songwriting with Hovvdy’s now signature duel harmonizing vocals into one of their most engaging records to date. Their blend of soft indie with a touch of lo-fi bedroom pop brings pleasant sounds to the front on each song. The title track is a prime example of this as its foot tapping beat strolls along smoothly as the duo’s vocals land like a gentle wave on the beach while the guitar creates a haze supporting the track up from below. Like all good pairs, Hovvdy use their voice as another instrument in the arsenal with vocal interplays that build catchy layer after layer. On “Around Again” the group strays a bit into the more folksy side of their sound with its slower pace as the pair reflects and remembers with harmonizing lines like “Pretend we didn’t change a thing. Won’t you come around again.”

True Love was co-produced by Andrew Sarlo (Nick Hakim, Big Thief, Bon Iver), which for sure was the correct choice to guide the direction of this album. Hovvdy have created one of more positive sounding records this year and honestly True Love is a great album to crank in your headphones. It is an easy record to connect with and if your not careful an easy record to hum along with when everything else around you is quiet. I feel like True Love is a huge turning point for Hovvdy and shines a light on their future path that seems bright for the band.

Key Tracks: “True Love” / “Around Again” / “Joy”

Artists With Similar Fire: Alex G / Sufjan Stevens / Trace Mountains

Hovvdy Review History: Cranberry (2018)

Hovvdy Website
Hovvdy Facebook
Grand Jury Music

Thomas Wilde

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