Happy Hollows leaves plenty of space and clear tonal lines at the beginning of “Summer Is Over” before introducing a touch of guitar sketching the edges of melody. Most prominent are Sarah Negahdari’s vocals singing words of reflection on a season of fun, love and adventures. What makes the song work other than Negahdari’s soaring and winsome vocals is the way the guitar parts, the bass and percussion are arranged to be almost more textural and pointilist rather than largely tonal or in the case of the percussion in a traditional drum pattern. These simple elements create a more dynamic whole while allowing the impressionistic images of the lyrics to flow unimpeded and spontaneously. In this way it’s reminiscent of an even more minimalistic Rubblebucket song with unconventional sounds placed subtle in the mix especially in the percussion and conveys a sense of nostalgia without an excess of sentimentality. After all the good times of summer may be over but this song suggests that even though the initial wave of excitement may be over but the romance certainly isn’t. Listen to “Summer Is Over” on Soundcloud and follow Happy Hollows at the links below.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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