Track of the Day: Hollow River – Aspartame
If Green Day were to have a child with Weezer and it was raised by Good Charlotte, the chances are likely the kid would be Hollow River. Drawing together elements of pop-rock and pop-punk tinging them with hip-hop vocals, Hollow River’s sound is obscure with a charming eclecticism. This is my introduction to the Canadian artist, but he has been turning heads since his debut album Bleed Only Water in 2019. Coverage in Rising Artists Blog, Senocular Media, Skylight Magazine, Music Arena GH, TJPL News and various other publications are evidence of his international reach. The latest addition to his discography is the single ‘Aspartame’.
Following his Green Day-influenced single ‘The Way I Want To’, ‘Aspartame’ has a smoother, gentler tone to the melody – at least that’s what he wants you to think when the track begins. Following a toe-tapping Weezer sound, ‘Aspartame’ is an elegant blend of soothing pop-rock choruses bridged by a bold, hard-hitting guitar-driven chorus. It is as if he lulls you into a comfort zone then kicks up the amp and hits you square in the chest with a sonic blast.
Nodding to the sounds of the 90s, ‘Aspartame’ is charmingly nostalgic bringing back good memories of chilling out to Weezer’s ‘Island In The Sun’ and ‘Buddy Holly’; however, a contemporary uniqueness comes through with Hollow River’s rich rap vocals. Moreover, the lyricism is profound, poignant and has a deep relatability to today’s society. Hollow River explains that ‘Aspartame’ is inspired by his fluctuating weight as a child and the comments he would receive – “…to me the song is about those feelings of being told something about the world is normal and realising that the narrative you’ve been sold isn’t real but how those lies cause real harm.”
For more from Hollow River check out his official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
