Music I Liked – Hypno5e, Kalmah, Pollens

I’m not very good about keeping up with new releases. I barely even noticed with music release day switched from Tuesday to Friday. But a week ago, my phone blew up with bandcamp alerts about new releases from bands I like. So I listened to Hypno5e, Kalmah, and Pollens. And I liked it.

Hypno5e

I got really into the French band Hypno5e a few years ago, but hadn’t listened to them lately. Then I got an alert that they had released a new album, called Alba – Les Hombres Errantes. The title confused me, because Hombres Errantes sounds Spanish. But it should be “los hombres” in Spanish. Or “les hommes” in French – right? The album confused me even more. I remembered Hypno5e as a metal band. Or at least post-metal-ish. Like this.

Les Hombres Errantes is quite a departure, with its clean vocal-forward mix of Spanish, French, and English lyrics. The music was more neoclassical flamenco than metal. But it was beautiful. I kept waiting for a build, but instead of a cinematic arc, the listening experience was more like watching the waves at the seashore. Cyclical, peaceful, but powerful. I’m not sure if it will make good music for working to, since the lyrics are quite audible and the temptation to try to make out the Spanish is strong. But it is lovely nonetheless.

Kalmah

No surprises from Kalmah, though. Their web page may say “Official home of swamp metal,” but Palo serves up the folky death metal we all love Finland for. Palo is full of Amon Amarth hooks and mosh friendly riffs. It’s the soundtrack for a good time.

Pollens

Most of the time I don’t care when bands release a single track. But I got so many new alerts I listened to Pollens‘ new track $$$_PSA before I realized it was a single.

This entry is even more unusual because I’m including it even though I am not sure I actually liked it. I’m a sucker for electric violin, but the thing that starts out sounding like electric violin might actually be some kind of timpani after all? I don’t know. This song annoys and confuses me, which is a think I sometimes enjoy in music.

Also weird: I might have followed Pollens by mistake in the first place. I saw a band called Pollens at Showbox in maybe 2013? If I remember, they were a brand new, all-female Seattle band. The music was shambolic and half-baked, but I loved the ideas they were playing with. This band I followed on bandcamp is co-ed, Brooklyn-based, and has albums dating back to 2011. But weird in many of the same ways as the Pollens I mistook them for. I like that.