Alphabetically Reviewing My Music Collection Week 3: 3 Years Hollow and 38 Special

Welcome back to the third installment of me indexing through my music collection alphabetically, and telling you guys what I think.

You may be wondering why all of a sudden, I'm doing two bands. There's three reasons for that.  I only have these two bands left until we get into the letter A.  (I know, I'm excited too!) There are only two songs across the two of them and it would be a waste of time for me to review them separately. And spending three weeks on the number 3 is quite fitting.

So our first band this week is 3 Years Hollow!

© Noisecreep

Chemical Ride

© Imagen Records

The video for this song is ...very poorly directed (I got into that on Tuesday). But we wouldn't be looking at this song if I thought it was bad.

The vocalist gives an amazing performance. He's living inside these lyrics and you can hear the emotion in his vocals. He absolutely makes this song. Not to suck his dick but I couldn't compliment this guy enough. He can clearly sing his ass off.

The main riff isn't anything too complex on its own. By itself, it sounds a little dissonant. But it really compliments the rest of the track. As an added bonus his song was produced by Sevendust's Clint Lowery (And believe me I can't wait to tackle them.)

Taking the entire song at face value it sticks out to me that the album version and the video version are different. The vocals and the guitar are mixed way more prominently in the album version. Which probably has something to do with the single being released a full two years before the album! They pulled a Thanos on that promotion.

But first, I'mma wait two years...
© Marvel

Apart from this song, I checked out "Ascension" off of their first album and "For Life" off of this one. I can definitely see why Clint was drawn to them. These bros sound identical to early Sevendust. The vocalist can carry a tune till the cows come home. The axeman (Clint's role in Sevendust) is ridiculously talented. The one thing they're missing is an uber-talented drummer. Three Years Hollow is basically Sevendust-lite. Which isn't a bad thing at all. I'm definitely going to be listening to some more of their stuff.




The second band we're looking at today is 38 Special!

Whoops, wrong pic.

There we go...

So before we even start, you already know I've got to address the fact that 38 Special is fronted by Donnie Van Zant.  That's right he's the middle brother of Lynyrd Skynyrd frontmen Johnny and Ronnie Van Zant. And you can definitely hear it in his voice. This week we're looking at one of their biggest singles (It hit number ten on the Billboard Hot 100)

Caught Up In You

© A&M Records

Have you ever heard a song that's so optimistic and catchy that no matter how hard you try not to, you always find yourself singing along? That's this song for me. When the breakdown starts and those layered vocals hit, you'll feel like a rockstar singing along.

Something inspiring about Van Zant and crew is that they don't sound conventional at all. But they make the best of what they got. Every little note,  every guitar lick, and drum fill sound perfect. But at the same time, they sound easygoing and simplistic. But I guess that's the gist of Southern Rock.

I ain't much for songs about being smitten, but there's a certain charm to the way these lyrics are crafted that makes the subject matter not only tolerable but relateable. and I know I already said this but goddamit that breakdown is pure heaven. Not a single EDM, metalcore or deathcore can compare to that breakdown in my book.

Marshmello, eat your heart out.

Apart from this song, you know goddamn well I've heard "Hold On Loosely." I learned to drive to that song (Which is possibly why I still don't have a license.) That song has a lot more riffing than "Caught Up In You." It just generally feels a lot more Southern Rock while "Caught Up In You" is more or less pop. But that's about all I've heard from these boys. And honestly that's fine with me, I'm more of a Molly Hatchet kind of guy.

Next week - Abriosis!

 

Revolver Picture © 2019 Arms Unlimited

38 Special Picture © 2000 Interscope Records

Gary Moffat Picture ©1995 - 2015 Pearl Corporation

Everything Else © 2019 It's Mine Fuck Off Thieves