Not to be confused with the single that Martin featured late last month, “Waitin’” is also the album title for the latest release from Fredericton, NB six-piece band The Hypochondriacs, available from today.
If you take quite a few of my favorite things – tight vocal harmonies, a little doo-wop, some reminiscent elements of swing and soul wrapped in country skin encased in 70’s style soft rock with a horn section thrown in for good measure – then you’re probably heading towards Hypochondriacs territory. Not to say that there aren’t also other ingredients infused into the mix – the lively music-only track, “Chunky Dunk” proves that there’s real musical muscle to call on when needed – the album’s title track, and I share Martin’s sentiments here, even allows the faint whiff of 60’s hippydom to be caught on the breeze, all of which are totally fine with this particular listener.
This band may be completely new to me, but it’s no surprise to learn that they have already opened for the likes of Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real, Corb Lund & Trooper, and The Reverend Horton Heat – to name a few – and, following their 2016 debut album, “The Hypochondriacs in ¾,” have garnished various awards on the way to what must surely be wider recognition and stardom.
This powerhouse group, consisting of Josh Bravener (guitar/lead vocals), Jamie Guitar (bass), Kelly Waterhouse (sax/vocals), Jeannine Gallant (trombone/vocals), Connor Fox (lead guitar), and Andrew DeMerchant (drums) have succeeded in fusing together a dish of widely different exotic spices and served them up in a smooth cohesive dish.
Out today across most streaming platforms, “Waitin’” proves it was worth doing just that. Although a pretty short listen, clocking in at around 33 minutes, and with a song cycle restricted to a meagre 8 tracks, this album leaves you hungry to hear much, much more. This superb album may very quickly be – no matter what the weather (especially here in the UK) – the one to fill my summer.
Photo Credit: Artist Website
Music has been a lifelong passion, a journey that as a child embraced the late 60's counter culture and has lasted until the present day. Despite trying to play guitar for the best part of 45 years, to his own frustration, never much beyond the first four bars of “Stairway to Heaven.” A self-confessed vinyl junkie, his other interests include collecting music memorabilia, old Muhammad Ali fight programs, and watching film. He lives alone in Nottingham (England) and still uses the term “Groovy” - these two facts may be intrinsically connected.
