Melbourne’s HOWQUA has been kicking some serious goals as of late. He’s played support slots for Little May and SOAK, enamoring audiences with his trembling vocals and sensitive lyrics. Not to mention his debut EP Naked has been a runaway success, the man’s vulnerability is engrossing. That’s not an easy thing to fake. Sure music as an art form is in some ways vulnerable, but HOWQUA achieves that higher level of intimacy and is able to draw you into his exclusive inner world.
Melbourne crooner HOWQUA elegantly pines for Her. Removed from his earlier electronic/ folk elements, it’s a bare yet rich track with opulent production.
His latest single Her is just as intimate as his last release. The openness that exudes from the song is intoxicating. Listening to HOWQUA’s music it feels like you’ve been told a secret, one that is to be shared only between you two. It’s a rare ability and it is harnessed with the gentle force of HOWQUA’s voice. The man is a crooner, not in a polished Oscar Key Sung way, but in a more rugged and raw manner. It’s the kind of voice that can make you swoon with joy or shed a tear in awe of its beauty.
While not as sonic as his rousing breakthrough single My Mindset, Her is able to achieve the same level o intensity in a subtle and clever way. Props need to be given to co-producer Hayden Calnin and mix master Tim Carr. Their work on Her is phenomenal. It’s as sparse a track as they come, but there is a breadth to it that is so rich and full you’ll find yourself coming back for repeat listens to discover something new.
Take the bass line for example. It’s incredibly simple and one may even think it’s lame to mention it. Yet, it carries the entire song as it bubbles away beneath the surface. It’s the silent puppeteer that draws the strings on the flashier parts of the song.
The pièce de résistance is the fade out of the vocals at the end. Her builds with its layers of lush guitars and clicking percussion, HOWQUA repeating “And every time she speaks/ she breathes with her good soul. Everyone she meets/ is touched by her good energy“. And as the track continues to build, the romanticism swelling with power, HOWQUA’s vocals swiftly fade away mid lyric. That fade out man, it just leaves you stranded there aching for more.
HOWQUA is set to kick off his first headline Aussie tour at the end of June. Grab your tix here!
