Holy Hannah: Holy Hannah! Album Review

By Kaitlyn Watson
Music Journalist

Artist: Holy Hannah

Album: Holy Hannah!

Digital Release Date: October 11, 2019

Website: http://holyhannah.club/

Holy Hannah, more formally known as Hannah Von Der Hoff from Minneapolis, is the guitar playing cool girl with wild hair that you wanted to be when you grew up. “K.I.S.S. Method” was released as a single on Sept. 6 ahead of her self titled debut album, Holy Hannah! that is set for digital release on Oct. 11, 2019. The album’s overall sound hails influences from some of our old classic favorites as well as more recent memories of the iconic era of early 2000s alternative music.

“K.I.S.S. Method” serves as a great opener because it lets you know exactly what’s about to go down. There is an immediate nod to the subset of ‘70s rock that owes its existence to rhythm and blues. Her voice is edgy and strong, and we see that the vocals on this song are only the tip of the iceberg as we move through the rest of these tracks.

Next up is “Lust/Love,” and this is where I’ve given myself the authority to make bold claims on the name of Led Zeppelin. Some tracks have the potential to fit in on the 1982 compilation of outtakes titled Coda. “Lust/Love” and “Hot Minute” both show Hannah’s ability to rework an old sound. Managing to pull off Led Zeppelin in the female garage rock persuasion while also giving us raw powerful vocals that are reminiscent of Florence Welch is something I’ve seen in my dreams before.

“Get a Grip” proved to be one of the most upbeat songs on the album, showing that Hannah has the range to do a more modern sound as well. My immediate thoughts were that it would fit perfectly into the soundtrack of a funky 2011 coming-of-age movie.

“Ego Burn” ended up as my favorite track because I am a sucker for a song that switches up after a melodramatic introduction. Hannah showed her affliction for the sounds of jazz and blues again with the horns at the beginning of the song. Experimenting with multiple sounds in one song seems to be commonplace with her, never leaving anything feeling stagnant or boring.

The last two tracks, “Pick Your Poison” and “Sunday Afternoon” caught my ear because they made this album stand out as a body of work rather than a compilation of songs. “Pick Your Poison” breaks down to shine a spotlight on Hannah’s voice sounding larger than life. It has a cinematic effect of ending in controlled chaos and jamming, but feeling like the final bow.

It could be the last track, but the way “Sunday Afternoon” fades in is reminiscent of the lights coming up after the concert has ended. It feels like a short and sweet, “Thank you, and goodnight!” to the audience.

Every track felt intentional, and that is something that makes a record a favorite to me. I am highly anticipating the digital release of this full album, knowing it won’t be the last time Holy Hannah is in my heavy rotation.