Photos: Frankie Cavone
On February 16, Albany-based funk-rock jam band Hilltop released their latest project, Getting There Together. The EP is a collection of four songs from Hilltop’s catalog that outline the importance of living in the moment and cooperating. “[The EP] is a deeper experimentation and exploration of the spaces we can create with our original songs in the studio,” Hilltop says of the new record. “We all have experience recording music, but we went into this project unsure of how we would record this EP, and how the finished product would pull together. Our results have yielded us a greater understanding of how our music should sound and how we will achieve that.”
The EP kicks off with the track “Beautiful,” a feel-good tune that opens with an upbeat guitar riff. The backing vocals are perfectly tucked into the mix during the verses, with the harmonies shining during the chorus. “Beautiful” touches on themes of looking forward to the future, and making everything “beautiful,” no matter what happens. The variety of percussion instruments add to the song’s jammy vibe, while the signature Hilltop envelope filter used during the guitar solo creates a transcendental sound.
“Sunshine” is the EP’s second track, and an infectious guitar riff by lead singer/guitarist Aris Nieuwkerk strikes once again. Nieuwkerk’s vocals shine brightest on this track, with the band’s backing harmonies folded evenly into the mix. A combination of interesting effects, such as a lo-fi telephone effect on the vocals and the guitar’s envelope filter, make “Sunshine” a standout track.
Personally, “Something New” reminds me of the joy I felt as a teenager listening to my favorite jam bands in the car on the way to a Volkswagen bug-in – it evokes a feeling of nostalgia. This tune is the most musically complex track of the bunch, as the instrumentation goes places you wouldn’t expect. What I love about “Something New” is that the song touches on spiritual topics, such as meditation and manifestation, which, according to Hilltop, “Helps us realize we have all the answers we will ever need.” As a spiritual person myself, the lyrics in “Something New” resonate with me deeply.
Finally, “Moonshine” closes out the exploratory EP. I like the juxtaposition of “Sunshine” being the second track and “Moonshine” being the fourth track. Hilltop has a way of conceptualizing an album’s track list in just the right way that makes the songs flow seamlessly into each other. Every song on Getting There Together feels like it belongs in the space it inhabits. With a train track beat, the final song on the album sports a country vibe, different from the others. “Moonshine” also contains the most visceral lyrics on the album, with lines such as “As we transcend through space and time / And that’s not all we’ll ever be.” The guitar solo in this track is my favorite on the EP, as it is reminiscent of a quintessential country guitar solo. On March 30, Hilltop and special guest Leon Trout will be performing at The Hollow in Albany, New York. Tickets can be purchased here.