Human Hand
As one Wolf People side project (Large Plants) already cements itself as a new favorite, the band’s ranks offer up yet another, finding guitarist Joe Hollick in good company with motorik psych trio Human Hand. The band embraces the German Progressive pulse, wielding rhythm and fuzz with an intensity and hunger that can sometimes elude seekers of the genre. While the band can slide onto the shelf alongside some newcomers to the Krautrock canon, like Minami Deutsch and L’Eclair, there’s a darker current that runs through Tremor. Hollick’s playing was always a highlight of Wolf People, and he brings a similarly stunning heft to Human Hand, especially as his riffs play off of the rhythm section of Karl Eden (tRANSELEMENt) and Jonathan Dickin (MUMS, Honey Spider).
The band eases into the record before scraping senses on “Teeth,” a cut that leaves a taste of fried ozone and metal in the mouth as the last notes dissipate from the speakers. The trio continues to dig into the crevices between metal and progressive rhythms until they let a little light into their sonic quarry on “Tern,” a welcome respite that pairs clean strumming with field recordings. The record was set to tape quickly, recorded over a two-day span that found the band working in haste to lay tracks and overdub simultaneously. The results don’t feel the rush, though, translating the band’s crunch into a fevered pulse that drives the record deep into the headiest territories. I’m hoping that this is only the beginning for Human Hand. If this is what they can create with only a couple of days between them, then time bodes well for us all.
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