Hallo and the pretty emotional punches and melancholia of "Worth It All"

 

"Yeah, you’re blooming but that don’t fool me none / I got a lot of flowers I can choose from..."

The emotional arc of "Worth It All" by Austin based indie rock band Hallo, sneaks up on you first swaying coyly, then full grabbing you by the shirt collar pulling you close and finally embracing you fully. The initial feel tugs at you like a mellow but groove drawn Fleetwood Mac song, nostalgic and folk rockish with wonderful ambient insertions. The song builds in it's heaviness, the intertwining musicality full of pounding downbeats, pearly harmonics and throttling bass and drum counter strikes create a shape shifting universe from that folksy beginning to a collision of alt rock meets 80's / 90's twee and current indie rock blends. Tiana Stuart's vocal countenance, so absolutely moving in it's punch and pretty attacks and sustains will undoubtedly floor you like it does me. 

I somehow thought of the iconic sounds of bands like The Sundays, Heavenly, Talulah Gosh, 10,000 Maniacs and The Cranberries, maybe because my head is that fertile generational space a lot of the time.     

LINER NOTES (bracketed):

[Hallo's second upcoming release, Worth It All, prefaces their debut album to be release this fall. It's a track about finding your own worth after being subjected to someone toxic for years. That type of person always try to come back into your life and try to convince you how they've changed. Luckily, but understand they aren't the only flower in the garden and that you're worth everything. You've got it.]

[Hallo (pronounced Hollow) is comprised of Tiana Stuart (rhythm guitar and vocals), Behn Stuart (drums), Aaron Sekula (bass), and Jason Morris (lead guitar).]

[Inspired by the disorientation caused by life, Hallo’s upcoming debut album, "Unsaved" considers the struggles of being used, disowned, and shamed. It’s a tender exploration through the tough realities of getting older, losing friends, and constantly feeling disconnected, all while trying to observe the beauty and fierceness in finding your own worth. Each song is an intimate look inside the highly sensitive and easily wounded heart.]

[Armed with a handful of disposable and expired personal ‘ov-chipkaarten,’ Tiana Stuart packed the songs she wrote while living in Amsterdam (2016-2019) and moved back to the States where she continued to write music. Performing only twice under the name, Darwood, Tiana and her band shared a bill with Fastball and The Bright Light Social Hour (name dropping, heyyy) right before the pandemic struck. Feeling defeated, Tiana dug in and wrote new songs and retired others.]

"And I don’t mind you

Next to me
As long as you understand
You ought to be

Worth it all
That I’m worth it all

I got it
I got it
I got it
I got it

See I never fully understood
You never let me fly when you knew I could
And I will take my every shot
Without ever thinking that I’m not

Worth it all
That I’m worth it all
That I’m worth it all
That I’m worth it all"

I look forward to stepping into Hallo’s upcoming debut album, "Unsaved". I have a distinct feeling that the experience will be a special one. 

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ncV1a6mrPovdXzHMvIDhB

https://www.instagram.com/hallo_theband/

https://www.facebook.com/hallotheband

https://www.youtube.com/@hallotheband

https://x.com/hallotheband

https://linktr.ee/hallo_theband


Hallo (pronounced Hollow) is a cozy indie rock band that hails from the weird and hot-as-hell city of Austin, Texas.

Hallo, indie rock band, Austin Texas, centered around singer-songwriter Tiana Stuart, "Worth It All", upcoming debut album "Unsaved", alt rock, twee, 80's tones, youthful, dream pop,