Shout Out Louds - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff

Shout Out Louds
Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
Capitol Records
Grade: (A for “The Comeback”)

Howl Howl Gaff Gaff is all about one song; one song that is fucking unbelievable good. That song is the heart-stomper and opener “The Comeback.” “The Comeback” starts with some beeps and then the full band kicks in with a very straight indie rock progression that blows up into pop-blitz, new wave perfection. Part of the appeal is the gorgeous simple instruments, but it mostly draws from the incredibly perfect creaking vocals from lead singer Adam Olenius. You come away from such a three-minute introduction to Sweden’s Shout Out Louds thinking this may be the best record and band to scorch planet Earth in sometime. Your hopes are not dashed on the solid follower “Very Loud,” where the Shout Out Louds punch out pop rock with Springsteen tinges and parallels to Canada’s the Constantines. Yet, after these two absolute dazzlers, Howl Howl Gaff Gaff begins the slippery slide to mediocre. It is not as if the five-piece drop away into oblivion, it is just that the new wave indie rock is not infused with same attention to strong song structures and catchy lyrics. You shed a tear for a lost opportunity. If you are a Cure fan then your tear might turn to rage listening to “100 [degrees]”. I scanned the liner notes to see where the Shout Out Louds cite the Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” for the central riff to “100 [degrees],” but it is nowhere to be found. It is such a rip-off that it rivals the “Ice Ice Baby” job. It is probably best just to skip past the song in order to relax the nerves. A couple of other songs to take note of include the clapping “Hurry Up Let’s Go” and “Shut Your Eyes.” Look, just put “The Comeback” on repeat and every once in awhile play “Very Loud” and you will satisfy your thirst for catchy rock. The potential for the Shout Out Louds is phenomenal, so let’s hope that the future brings good things and realization of lollipop and sunshine choruses.