Seattle duo Hallows has a new album out today called All That Is True. It melds influences from across the post-punk and synthpop landscapes for a rich, layered sound held together by sorrow and turmoil. I can’t help feeling very unsettled while listening to this.
Just listen to the intricate sounds and utter despair of the title track, “All That Is True Dies.” The single arrived in April, and I included it on my best songs of the month list. Its menacing, ominous chorus has been stuck in my brain since.
The full-length album is deeply informed by the events of 2020. The members of the band witnessed first-hand the brutality and unrest that took place in Seattle, a microcosm of what was going on around the world. That experience inspired much of the album, which explores the emotional journey of existing in an unjust world.
The band says:
The inspiration behind the album comes from both of us witnessing so much pain this past year but seeing how it is possible to carry on, reaching for a better future.
I’ve had a chance to listen to the entire album a few times, and so far my favorite track is “Nothing,” which contemplates what it feels like to be forgotten or left behind. It includes the line, “The anguish rises up,” and you can certainly feel the anguish in this song. Earlier this month, Hallows released a pandemic-era live music video for “Nothing.”
One of my favorite things about Hallows is the interplay between male and female vocals. Both bandmembers Vanne and Dom sing on the album, in addition to performing the guitar and synth parts.
They’ll be performing at this fall’s Absolution Fest in Tampa, Florida (incidentally on my birthday!). Get more information about Absolution Fest and buy tickets here.
