Hovvdy - 'Meant'
Hovvdy share their wholesome, painfully catchy new single 'Meant'.
Hovvdy (for the uninitiated) are Will Taylor and Charlie Martin, a duo from Austin, Texas. From their slowcore-drenched debut 'Taster' to the sublime 2021 release 'True Love', the duo have continued to build on a nostalgic sound that never loses its optimism. On April 26th the band will release their self-titled double album, one made with frequent co-pilots Andrew Sarlo and Bennett Littlejohn. This creative quartet have churned out 19 tracks for the double album, one of which is 'Meant'.
It's "a song of gratitude", Taylor says. "Meant reflects on how the most impactful love one can offer is consistency". Sung from the perspective of a father, this simple message takes on a whole new potency. The track opens with a swirling mixture of sampled strings, lending a certain lofi and nostalgic quality. Then come the drums, ohhhh the drums. Two grooves run side by side, panned left and right, driving the whole arrangement. This, along with the multiple samples knitted throughout, gives the song undeniable power... not the ferocious kind of power. More the lung-collapsing hug kind.
'I needed you to stay right there and you did / I wanted you to know how much it meant', sings Taylor in the final chorus as the drums fade and guitars feed back whilst mangled strings sit on a cosy bedrock of piano. It's short and oh so sweet. Hovvdy are making a habit out of crafting these short, charming tracks that never lose their authenticity.
Words by Joe Boon
