The boys are back in town! The boys being power popping rock'n'roll radical rats Best Bets, and the town being Ōtautahi Christchurch! On their second album The Hollow Husk of Feeling the sonic palette expands to become even janglier, rocking-er, and powerfully poppier than ever before. With members hailing from such mighty acts as Transistors, Salad Boys, and T54, you know this is a recipe for success. - Flying Out
Best Bets look inwards to deliver another power pop gem with their second album, The Hollow Husk of Feeling, releasing worldwide on 27 September 2024 through Meritorio Records and Melted Ice Cream (NZ).
Recorded in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand from late 2023 to early 2024, The Hollow Husk of Feeling comes from a spiritual place that will be familiar to those who have absorbed the lyrics of Olly Crawford Ellis and James Harding through their work in Best Bets, and garage punks Transistors. The musical palette is expanded this time through the addition of songs penned by primary bass player Joe Sampson (Salad Boys, T54) – who also recorded, mixed and mastered the album in his signature style.
But where Best Bets’ first album On An Unhistoric Night was a kaleidoscopic jaunt that intertwined obscure references with musings on life, their second album places at the forefront a feeling one suspects many know well. Sure, it wouldn’t be a Best Bets album without nods to things like Australian reality television of the early 90s, Mortal Kombat (1995), apocalyptic novels, Seinfeld, and automotive history. Even so, there’s an undeniable feeling permeating the album that a threshold has been crossed – be that out in the world, or perhaps even closer to home.
Where does that leave us, and does it matter? The Hollow Husk of Feeling may just be the perfect antidote for a world gone mad, or at the very least, a pulse check for kindred spirits - and hey, even if it fails it still might work.
As purveyors of guitar-driven power/jangle/fuzz pop, familiar sonic touchstones abound – think The Replacements, Teenage Fanclub, Redd Kross. Yet things spill over in all directions and the album is tinged with elements of post-punk, glam and indie rock.
Best Bets may be preoccupied with things beyond their control on The Hollow Husk of Feeling. Listeners can take heart though from acerbic guitar-driven reflections that may not sound like the ‘20, but could only be written in the ‘20s.
Tracklist:
1. Heaven
2. Sylvania Waters
3. Monster
4. Hairshirt
5. Spooky Signals
6. Autumn Morning (Come What May)
7. The Last Grand Prix
8. Pensacola
9. When You Walk Out
10. Malaise Era
11. Pillory Parade
12. We Are Prepared
