There’s so much good indie music out there right now to review, holy shit! I need to go to shows, (damn social anxiety) because what I’m hearing from the Detroit seen is all fucking spectacular. Anyway, let’s talk about some of it. The Hourlies Symptoms. Y’all probably already know this because I don’t waste my time listening to bad music for negative reviews, I like it.
The Hourlies. The Hourlies? The Hourlies!
“The Hourlies are four Detroit scene vets that all reside somewhere in the space between garage
rock, blues, punk, and psyche rock. The result is blues guitar hooks, played at the speed of punk, with
just enough psychedelic chaos to keep things interesting”
Members include:
Chris Tomko – Vocals, Guitar
Benjamin Kay – Guitar
Jarrett Koral – Bass
Matt Maniaci – Drums
Previous releases include Signs in 2021 and Live On Site in 2020. The EP at hand, Symptoms released May 21, 2022 off Doomcat records.
I’d say The Hourlies do a pretty good job at describing themselves. Their music is heavy on riffs and solid guitarwork. They rebel yell and wind through hook laden, psychedelic rock songs. They sound akin to old school rockers with a punk edge like The Stooges or even a bit proto-punk like The Who. They definitely seem out of time like other local psychedelic rockers Sugar Tradition. The songs are dynamic and musically dexterous, grooving fully through the different movements. Symptoms is simultaneously very cohesive but displays a solid variety of style, from the super bluesy “S’pos’da” to the more aggressive (and superbly tasty) punky hook on “Mania”.
The production is incredibly listenable without feeling overdone or without charm. The guitar tone is fantastic throughout, feeling incredibly old school and deep. The bass is perfectly overblown and carries a nice heavy bass oomph. The drums stay in the perfect rock n’ roll pocket never overtaking the rest of the song, but keeping the energy up and providing a rock solid foundation to the dynamic songs. The vocals also feel old school, varying from a garagey/grunge kind of yell, or a more bluesy higher register, like in the song “I Got A Feeling We’ll Find Out” (which includes some fantastic vocal vibrato). The chops of these scene veterans is evident with soaring guitars over a rock solid driving rhythm section.
So, no surprise, I really dig this EP. I can’t really think of anything negative to say about, and I’ve got a feeling they’re gonna be on to my rotation, especially “Mania”. I’m super interested to see more from The Hourlies in the future. I’d love to see them really go crazy on a full album, maybe give us some ridiculous length solo’s a-la “Freebird” or some crazy pedal work, but hey, they know better than I. Go listen, go support. Doesn’t suck.
Check Their Socials:
Their next show is 6/17 at The Old Miami in Detroit. Check their FB for future shows.
and mine:
Dirt Witch Records 
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