Excavate most songs long enough and the odds are good that a Beatles influence will be discovered once all the sediment has been sifted. Sometimes it’s an overt note or chord, or series of same, others are more general, a cheeky spirit daisy-chained through the generations via other artists, other bands. They somehow became the nucleus of 1960s-era pop music, while the electrons and protons buzzing about them can be seen (or heard) as their many talented cohorts. Everyone acted or reacted to them.
Even after they splintered, their shards cast similar shamanic spells—John Lennon and Paul McCartney, especially. Brooklyn-based guitarist and songwriter Liz Hogg, whose sophomore album is slated for release this Friday (Nov. 14), credits both. Lennon’s embrace of spontaneity was her mantra when it came to crafting her songs, while echoes of McCartney’s eccentric paean to heart and hearth, Ram, can be heard across the 10 tracks. (There’s nothing here as madcap as “Monkberry Moon Delight,” granted, but plenty of “3 Legs”-like delights.) At the same time, however, Hogg’s vocals remind me of Liz Phair’s—they’re a grainy wonder.
The set opens with “Things I Said Before,” which conjures the Jam at their R&B best. “Wonder When” injects rock into the mix, while a glut of harmonies begs a not-so-simple question: “I wonder when I get to love.” “On Paper” opens with unfettered Phairmones secreting through the speakers, while “Belly” celebrates a lover’s stomach. “Master & Commander” examines the communication issues that often disrupt relationships; for whatever reason, the lyrics remind me of my relationship with our kittens. (Joke, that. Kinda.) “Irreversible” delves into how love can bruise and wound us; to quote Joan Jett, “love is pain.” (Of course, it also possesses healing powers—but that’s grist for another song.) “Curl” bounces and jounces along while asking a friend—or, perhaps, herself—to think through what it is she intends to do.
The upbeat “Round the Corner” brims with the Ram l’esprit, with lyrics that promise that love is coming soon. The ruminative “Instructions for the Physical World,” meanwhile, is a tactile delight, with Hogg’s echoey vocals a sonic bridge between the physical and spiritual aspects of life. Another McCartney-esque number, “One Thread,” closes the album; she credits Wings’ “Silly Love Songs” for inspiring the song’s three-part contrapuntal vocals.
All in all, Goodbye World Hello Something is an enjoyable outing that lives up to repeated plays. It can be ordered via Hogg’s website.
The track list:
The Old Grey Cat 