Tripper

Hella

Don't get me wrong. Hold Your Horse Is *is* absolutely essential listening. Without getting too much into it (let's save it for another day), that record really challenges the expectations of what music can be because of the inventive approach drummer Zach Hill and guitarist Spencer Seim bring to their instrumental performances and compositions. If I wanted to give someone a new musical experience, a shock to the system, I would probably tell them to go listen to Hold Your Horse Is. Although, if I was trying to convert a new fan, I think I would actually recommend their 2011 album, Tripper. There are a few reasons why. For one, Tripper is way less esoteric, melodically speaking, as the duo are much more successful striking that balance between angular and harmonious. Many of these tracks have melodic lines that are simultaneously perplexing and really catchy. Yubacore's main melody has this fantastical quality that is filled with wonder and curiosity. Netgear also has a super catchy riff that kind of rivals any riff from the Smashing Pumpkins catalogue. The first half of the riff on Kid Life Crisis has this descending line that brilliantly cascades over Hill's busy drums while the other half climbs back up with these really odd sounding intervals. And then you have a track like Furthest, who's riff has this country, folk flair that sounds quite different with the untraditional guitar overdrive. There are many more examples, but basically what I'm getting at is that Tripper is filled with so many hooks and doesn't sacrifice on the complexity or intricacies that make Hella so mesmerizing to listen to.

Another reason why I would recommend this record over Hold Your Horse Is is because it sounds so much better. The band's debut, sadly, has brittle sounding guitars and tinny drums. There's a lack of definition, especially in the drums, that can obscure some of the finer details; details that your average person who doesn't want to nerd out and spend endless hours dissecting, will most likely miss. The production on Tripper is arguably just as raw and modest, but the drums are now given the life and energy you would expect to hear from a player like Zach Hill. The guitar tone is also packed with low end and saturated with distortion, giving them a real beefy, heavy metal sound. This does wonders for tracks like Headless, which is one exhilarating, blood-pumping section after another. The blast beats, the nearly thirty second relentless drum roll, the tremolo picked guitars that rain down sparks and ash like an endless fireworks show; everything sounds gigantic and alive. Listening to Self Checkout and Long Hair makes me feel like I'm speeding through the desert in a Mad Max film with the thick, stoner rock guitars and primal drumming. I'm telling you, these songs wouldn't translate as well if they had the timid and fragile production the duo's debut had.

Maybe I should be talking about Hold Your Horse Is. After all, 2022 marks the twentieth anniversary for the landmark math rock record. However, I can't help but feel like Tripper will always be overshadowed, despite being just as solid a record. Therefore, I feel compelled to share this one first. It has just as many memorable moments, like the way Netgear's ending stretches and deteriorates until there is nothing left but fractured artifacts. Or the crazy galloping sections in Psycho Bro that are accented by some pretty cool use of guitar harmonics. Or the way On the Record sounds like it is being played at forty-four RPM instead of thirty-three. Hold Your Horse Is will be remembered and praised this year and for many years still to come, so let's put some respect on this album instead. At least, to start.