Micah Lopez scrapped his old project after it disappeared into the streaming void and came back as Hollow Star with a clearer vision. “Listen” is five tracks of post-punk that borrows from the Cure and the Smiths but doesn’t copy them wholesale.
“Seconds” opens with guitar lines that recall Andy Summers and lyrics about contradictory ideas of God. “Wisdom” is the emotional center. He recorded all of this in a cramped LA apartment with his poodle as the only witness, which probably explains why everything sounds so close and personal.
Micah taught himself to write songs by learning every part of Joy Division’s “Ceremony” as a teenager, refusing to stop until he got it right. That kind of obsessive detail work is obvious here, but the songs still have spontaneity and life to them. He compares himself to Johnny Marr and Robert Smith when he’s writing, not out of arrogance, but because he’s aiming high.
“Listen” is a solid debut that makes me want to hear where Hollow Star goes next. You need to follow Hollow Star on social media to keep up with new music and upcoming shows.
Follow Hollow Star: Instagram – Facebook – Spotify
