Leaves are changing, the air is getting crisp, and seasonal depression has returned. It’s fall, baby. And what better way to usher in autumn than with new releases from (Sandy) Alex G, Big Thief and, most recently, Hovvdy, with their third full-length, Heavy Lifter.
This isn’t to say that Hovvdy’s (pronounced “Howdy”) music itself is depressing. Far from it. But the self proclaimed “pillowcore” duo’s latest offering is comfortable like my weighted blanket, urging me to stay inside all day and put it on repeat.
On Heavy Lifter, Hovvdy largely recapture the magic of 2018’s Cranberry—a sleepy collection of fall-ready truck songs—while also introducing a slightly more uptempo and adventurous sound, heard on tracks like “Mr. Lee,” “Tellmei’masinger” and “Cathedral.”
Though these risks don’t always pay off—mid-album floater “Tools” suffers from an unnecessary auto-tune treatment—Heavy Lifter is a thoroughly enjoyable listen, with the boys’ sweater of sound fitting as comfortably as ever.
Score: 🍁🍁🍁.5 / 5
