Insight & Critique
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact

Hochen - Strays

8/19/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Hochen

Strays
self-released; 2016

​3.8 out of 5

By Jamie Robash

Sometimes if you just let go and not try to try so hard you end up coming out with better results than if you concentrated and tried really hard. Though there are certain types of artists and musicians who begin with a vision and push really hard until it comes to fruition, it can still be a total disaster. But if you’re a man like Phoenix Arizona’s Stu Leiter, who’s been making music for the past fifteen plus years, you just make music because you want to. Everyone and everything else be dammed. Leiter performs his variants of alternative, metal, and sometimes psych rock under the moniker Hochen. His latest record, Strays, a is a refreshing take on the various outcroppings of the rock genre and his zero pretension approach to writing songs sets the very mellow but rocking pace of Strays.

The nine track Strays
opens with “Man I Am” a low-fi but groovy take on the hard rock. One thing to note right from the start are Leiter’s vocals which soft spoken but deep and bassy at the same time which creates a sort of darkness without going over the top with apocalyptic visions or other such themes of doom. Yet subtly Leiter makes you to pick up what he’s putting down, as he does on the dark and groove infested “Dead Friends,” and the darkly hypnotic “Lip Gloss.”

The first half of Strays
can sound a little repetitive after a time, the slow chugs and often lulling melodies, Leister picks up the pace a bit on  “In the Weeds/Strays,” and the second half of the grunge encrusted “Altered,” which contains some of Leisters best guitar work as does the back and forth from hard rock to mellow on the ethereal “No Worries,” and the balls out rock closer “From My Backyard.”

Despite its repetitive points Strays is a perfect example of technology working in the favor of the solo artist who wants to branch out from the old school singer songwriter vein and try to experiment with other forms of music. It is also a perfect example of what can come about if you just plug in and play, opting for raw emotion as opposed to working from blueprints. 
Become A Fan
bandcamp
Tweet
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

       Critique/insight

    We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent  music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.

    Tweets by divideanconqer
    Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook


    Archives

    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Company

About
Contributors

Newsletter

Newsletter
Book Your Band
© Divide and Conquer 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact