Ever since releasing his debut album in 2015, Slow Hollows, led by Austin Feinstein, has flipped from punk to indie to R&B and dance with grace. It’s a jump that caught the ears of 2010s giants like Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator, who later tapped him for their projects. (Feinstein sings the chorus of Ocean’s aching Blonde cut “Self Control” and appears on Tyler’s Cherry Bomb and Flower Boy.) While the band disbanded in early 2020, Feinstein continued to write and, ultimately, decided to relaunch Slow Hollows as a solo joint. The result — Bullhead, out today via Danger Collective — is mesmerizing, calling back to the sound of Slow Hollows’ early days. Here, Feinstein sounds reinvigorated, stripping the songs back with acoustic guitars and piano while remaining spectral and woozy. Strains of alt-rock, shoegaze, and folk sink into gorgeous arrangements, bolstered by a soothing drawl and big, layered guitar riffs that make it feel easy to drift away.
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Indebted to Neil Young and Elliott Smith, among others, Feinstein breaks down the songs that informed Bullhead below.
Neil Young – “Falling Off the Face of the Earth”
This is a song I listened to every day when making this record. It’s such a perfect blueprint for songwriting. It’s woozy and familiar. Apparently, he was on heavy medication and thought it was his last record when he wrote it, so there’s some spooky air built in.
Modest Mouse – “Trailer Trash”
This song might have my favorite guitar part and drum beat of all time. They have always felt very genre-bendy to me even though it’s a four-piece rock band. The grooves that they carved out on their early records are almost hip-hop/R&B.
Elliott Smith – “I Don’t Think I’m Ever Gonna Figure It Out”
It’s hard to do anything music-related after listening to him, but this song definitely served as a grounding inspiration for me when making this new record. A lot of his songs give me the impression that he knows what he’s saying is undeniably perfect, yet he still plays with this sense of wanting to get it over with.
Silver Jews – “Trains Across the Sea”
I don’t know if this song had any sort of sonic influence on me, but the feeling it gives me is something I can’t put into words. There is an arresting quality to this song, even if it sounds underwhelming in passing. As soon as you stop to listen to what he’s saying, it’s pretty hypnotizing.
Neil Young – “Don’t Forget Love”
This is a standout from one of his recent records, Barn. He’s so prolific at this stage in his life that it’s sometimes hard to digest everything coming in, but it’s worth trying to keep up with because he’s still releasing gems.
Wire – “The 15th”
This song just makes me feel good. Beautiful melodies. Always very inspiring.
The Velvet Underground – “I Found A Reason (Demo)”
This demo version is great. The guitar tone served as a huge inspiration in the studio for us. Playing really quietly and letting the guitar take center stage without cramming other things around it was something we were always trying to do.
Talk Talk – “Eden”
Another really great reference for atmospheric tones and guitar sounds. The space created on this song is pretty unreal.
Mica Levi – “Ride Till We Die”
This song is so freeing. It’s always an inspiring palate cleanser. This whole record is so great and a reminder that you’re really allowed to make things sound however you want.
Ted Lucas – “Plain & Sane & Simple Melody”
Beautiful voice and a great example of layering voices and guitars. Highly recommend.
