Arnold - Hillside

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat

First of all, even though the band's debut, Hillside, came out last summer, not many people seem to have noticed.

Second, the group is named after the guy who owned the restaurant on Happy Days.

Third, I saw way too many used copies of this CD sitting on the shelf like unwanted orphans the last time I was in Zia Record Exchange.

No album this good deserves a fate like that.

Combining Beatle-esque melodies with a more modern guitar-rock approach, the three-piece's songs are sometimes beautifully harmonious and transcendent, sometimes dissonantly jarring, sometimes lush, but often minimalist in approach.

The vocals vary from emotional lament to spoken word meandering, offering an overall twisty ride from beginning to end.

Most notably, the fourth track, "Fishsounds," provides a glimpse into the sheer beauty that can be achieved through sound, captivating in its swirling ethereal melody and gorgeously melancholy overtones.

This is the band that made Creation Record's Alan McGee break his self-imposed ban on signing any new acts to his already busy label. He didn't even hesitate.

Pick up Hillside and you'll see that you would have done the same in his place.

- doug levy