John Hollier & The Reverie
Rainmaker
Thirty Tigers
John Hollier & The Rêverie release their new long player, Rainmaker, recorded at The Dog House Studio in Nashville. Produced by Gabe Rabben, the album was mixed by D. James Goodwin and mastered by Daniel Bacigalupi at Infrasonic Sound.
Originally from central Louisiana, where he grew up on a crawfish farm in French-Cajun country, Hollier learned to sing and play guitar early on. After high school, he began playing with regional touring acts, traveling around the U.S. and Canada.
In due course, Hollier headed to Nashville. He says, “When you move to Nashville, you realize quickly what you’re not, you know? And I realized how much my roots mattered to me. But there’s got to be a way to incorporate that [heritage and feeling] without being a little cheeky or make it feel cringe.”
He formed John Hollier & The Reverie. The name is built around the Old French term “rêver,” meaning “to dream.”
“The Rêverie is a cultural nod,” Hollier explains. “But it’s also about this dreamlike state, this very meditative space, like when we’re working on a song and eventually put the words to it, these ethereal pieces that are like a river [flowing].”
The band’s sound blends elements of rock, soul, and alt-country into heartland roots music reminiscent of Springsteen and Mellencamp. According to Hollier, “The last thing you want to do is sound like everybody else. When you realize what your strengths are, and then you play to your strengths? That’s how you find your sound — that’s what we’re doing.”
Encompassing a dozen tracks, speaking subjectively, highlights on Rainmaker include the opening track, “Gonna Love You,” with its appealing, thumping rhythm topped by Hollier’s potent, emotionally expressive voice, with touches of a magnetic rasping tone. Hints of his Cajun roots leak out in the melody, giving the tune a deliciously distinctive flavor. And the brass accents are both surprising and satisfying.
On “Holding Too Tight,” Hollier reveals the yearning loneliness of his voice, a compelling longing that melts the hearts of listeners. A personal favorite because of its slow, drifting motion, the bluesy “Crashing” narrates the ache of profound feelings.
“It’s a hell of a drug / Hooked on the yesterdays / Drunk on the bitter taste of / Waking up and we’re both gone.”
Another favorite because of its swaying melody and Hollier’s gravel-laced vocals, “Never See Me Again” features excellent harmonies and the alluring, simple textures of acoustic guitars.
The title track’s swampy, blues-rock energy is at once raw and edgy. The dreamscape interlude shifts the harmonics and then ramps back up with a braying saxophone that gives the song electrifying emphasis.
For some reason, “Lonesome Highway Waltz” conjures up suggestions of Joe Cocker because of Hollier’s phrasing and inflections. It’s a beautiful song, dipped in the gravitational pull of deep emotions.
Vaguely reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen, only better, with Rainmaker, John Hollier & The Reverie deliver a restlessly, wickedly superb album.
