Minneapolis-based indie-rock outfit Hurrah! A Bolt of Light! recently released a new EP, An/Animal, a “visual album” offering 16 minutes of music in four movements, along with a stunning long-form video.
Hurrah’s primary songwriter is Wil Farr, a multi-instrumentalist from a rock milieu, who has a fascination for abstract soundscapes. Farr started Hurrah in NYC, followed by moving to Minneapolis.
“I’m interested in evoking feelings with my music,” Wil shares. “Young-adult science fiction had a profound effect on me. The stories weren’t always very clear, but they brought forth strong emotions. That approach really influenced me.”
Described as “pop music for sad people,” Hurrah’s sound has been likened to Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Modest Mouse, and Kings of Leon. Along with features on The Deli Magazine, BreakThru Radio, Time Out New York, QRO, and Radio Free Chicago, Hurrah’s music has appeared on Teen Mom (MTV), The Voice (NBC), Last Call With Carson Daly (NBC), Baseball Tonight (ESPN), Counting Cars (History Channel), and Nate Berkus Show (TLC), as well as networks such as Animal Planet, Nat Geo, and the Discovery Channel.
Farr wrote, acted in, and edited the long-form video, which narrates the cult-like kidnapping of a man, who experiences an array of emotions including despair, isolation, intense fear, and confusion.
The EP begins with “An/Animal 1,” opening on portentous colors rife with noir, bluesy tones. Farr’s evocative voice imbues the lyrics with wicked tension. When the harmonics ramp up, gleaming suffusion give the tune an alluring wall-of-sound effect.
“An/Animal 2” features an elegant piano intro, and then rolls into galvanizing layers of indie-rock. Delicious yet slick backing harmonies infuse the song with auras of pressurizing coloration. Whereas “An/Animal 3” rolls out on dirty punk-flavored guitars, gritty and grungy. Rumbling drums and hints of prog-rock provide the tune with snarling energy. Vaguely reminiscent of Meat Loaf, there’s a spine-chilling edge to the sonic textures.
“An/Animal 4” starts off on low-slung harmonics, riding a pulsing bassline and crunching drums as a piano slides atop the rhythm. As the music escalates, elevated harmonies infuse the tune with majestic, almost sacred timbres.
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Simultaneously delicate and muscular, An/Animal is wonderfully fashioned, highlighting the impressive creativity and affecting voice of Wil Farr.
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