HO HUM Local 1996

By request

Review

by Erik Crawford

Produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (Elvis Costello, David Bowie, Bush), the debut album from Ho-Hum, Local, resonates the new wave Brit-pop sound upon which these producers have built their reputation. Lenny Bryan's vocals come to the forefront on many of the songs, as the music becomes a secondary driving force to punctuate his vocal style. The opening track, "Around the World," sets the stage for what's to come on this straightforward pop record. The melody and the hook on the single "It's a Lie" make it stand out from the mesh of pop prevalence on Local. While the majority of songs are, as the band's name implies, ho-hum, there is enough substance to make it worthy of a listen, if only to hear how Elvis Costello and other Brit-pop icons' influence still runs deep.