Hoots & Hellmouth Hoots & Hellmouth

Hoots & Hellmouth's eponymous debut feels like a tossed off deep southern romp. The best moments on the album feel like up-tempo front-porch spirituals. The worst ones make you question the pairing of the two songwriter/songwriters at all.

The band is made up of two core members and songwriters Sean Hoots and Andrew "Hellmouth" Gray. Hoots' voice and compositions sound like foot stomping Appalachian soul, while Gray's songs fall into a gentler almost adult-contemporary category.

The strongest track, "Home in a Boxcar" combines a beautiful melody with the band's new spin on Americana. The introduction blends rhythm guitars and Rob Berliner's mandolin tremolo, like bluegrass shot though a church in Mississippi. Hoots' gospel inflected vocals and the choir harmonies ring out over the congregation as he guides the choir exclaiming, "this train is glory bound."

Another rejoicing track, "Forks and Knives" enjoys a rousing beat and intertwined acoustic guitars. Hoots' lyrics "If I had my choice I'd be / the voice of someone somewhere long ago" ring true.

After these two gems, the album suffers from inconsistent and redundant tunes. Andrew "Hellmouth" Gray's tunes fit much more neatly in the well-trodden singer/songwriter category, with vocals that are just a bit too gentle. The song the "Backwoods Don't Lie" gets a nice pick me up from the choir. Otherwise the Hellmouth tunes sound vacuous and forgettable compared to Hoots'.

One exception is Gray's tune "Rattle These Bones." The song starts slowly with a rather cookie-cutter acoustic guitar part, but the arrangement soon fills with mandolins and backing vocals galore. Hellmouth gets a lot of help from the band and the choruses jump off the speakers in contrast to the wordy verse. Hellmouth's vocals lack the passion of Hoots, but it's a hell of an act to follow.

Hoots' tunes build on southern church music, and his vocals manage to back it up. "This Hand is a Mighty Hand" plays like a rockin' southern spiritual. Hoots' vocals rise about the choir like a possessed preacher. Even though the songs lyrics repeat over and over, the power of vocals changes the focus entirely. It feels like it's been sung for years.

The record jarringly jumps from Hoots' soulful Americana to Gray's contemplative ballads. The best places on the record have a tossed-off feel to them. Hoots up-tempo numbers and the tight arrangements give the record a sing-a-long, dance-a-long feel.

Hellmouth's songs lack the same intensity and almost ruin the pacing of the record completely. Luckily Hoots sings the majority of the tunes and his gems certainly overshadow the weak tracks. His songwriting falters as well, but his vocals transform these compositions into rousing vocal workouts. It's the type of vocal talent that can carry an album on its own and breathe new life into old tunes. Hoots' pipes are that good.

Even if Hoots & Hellmouth seem confined within the wall's of a studio there's still hope. Look at the Dead. I'd love to hear a live tape or even a Hoots & Hellmouth jam session. Next time.