- Bryon Harris
Greg Hoy - Cacophony
Review by Daniel Deprè & Staff
“Cacophony” features a classic rock trio sound that is reminiscent of 90’s rock bands like Third Eye Blind. The arrangement is bolstered by some catchy guitar playing and confident drums. This is a pandemic theme song that is groovy and slick. It’s hard not to feel cool while listening to this song.
Lyrically. singer and guitarist Greg Hoy employs poetic phrasing and rhyming to express his frustration with the pandemic. There is a sense of fun in the lyrics while still hitting on poignant issues. He questions the people in charge while also conveying his frustration with those who are ignoring all the warnings about not spreading Covid. “Tell an alibi, keep it up your sleeve, didn’t wanna be your cacophony, rose color glasses, ignorant masses”. He also aptly expresses how the world was already falling apart before Covid. “Woke up this morning, coughing in my sleeve, did we really need another cacophony?”
Greg Hoy’s vocals are tastefully hazy and smooth. He creates a really catchy call and response with the guitars in the song. The end of many of the vocal lines have a gritty bend to them that displays how isolation has been affecting him, slowly driving him crazy. After the 2nd chorus he really lets things go crazy for a bit with a distorted and melodic guitar solo.
“Cacophony” is a lot of fun while also maintaining a chill vibe. It’s an expressive song that has just the right amount of attitude to it and Greg nails it.
For more information about Greg Hoy, please visit his website.
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About Greg Hoy
Musician Greg Hoy has issued over 30 albums under various monikers, including The Royal Panics, Greg Hoy, Greg Hoy & The Boys, and Twice As Bright. For touring, he fires up Greg Hoy & The Boys, a loose collective of friends and trusted musicians (that includes boys & girls). But that usual cycle of recording & touring got a little sidetracked this year.
'Cacophony', this latest release, wasn't planned. It was recorded mid-pandemic, socially distanced, and mostly live to 2-inch tape with his band at Tiny Telephone Studio in Oakland, CA. And *that* took the creative place of a planned tour in support of 'Enjoy The View', an EP recorded by audio legend Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey) in Chicago & mixed in Oregon by the equally amazing Sylvia Massy (Tool, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Red Hot Chili Peppers). Sadly, there was no touring to support it. So Greg wrote 10 songs in a weekend, gathered the band, and took a week to make 'Cacophony' now out on gold vinyl & digital.
Greg issues diverse albums aligned in spirit with such singular artists as Jack White, Dave Grohl, Neil Young, Queens Of The Stone Age, Spoon, The Jam, The Who, The Beatles... “All the ‘the something’ bands,” Greg would say, and the themes and styles of 'Cacophony' are no exception.