A Proud Supporter A man walks towards the Hmong Apparel booth and looks specifically interested in one of our screened pink t-shirts. So rumor is true, real men do in fact wear pink. Not to mention the shirt read ‘Little Hmong Princess’. The man quickly purchased and put on the shirt then and there, which then sparked my curiosity. Having a little chat with this man, I found out he is the promoter of the new Hmong band named ‘Hands’. As if back in the 1800s, the man asked if I would barter with him a cd for another of my shirts. I was surprised…by the request, and that he was old school like me…and quickly accepted as this was actually an awesome trade. I usually make it a year end habit anyways to support one Hmong artist, whether it is music or film, and purchase their cd or video. All my time this year was spent at the Hmong Apparel booth and I didn’t have the time to walk the lot and shop. So I was very pleased when this trade happened. Therefore, the Hands band was the only new Hmong music I was fully introduced to and I can confidently say that ‘Hands’-down, pun intended, they were the best new band of the 2013-14 Fresno Hmong New Year. Most of the time, yet not always, Hmong bands give their cd albums a title after their band name. For example, Paradise Bands’ 3rd album was titled ‘Lost in Paradise: Kuv hlub koj(I love you): Paradise Chapter III’, yep, that’s one long ass title for a cd. KLS’s 5th album was titled ‘KLS; I’m sorry, Close to you’, which I actually find quite odd now seeing that there’s no song on the album titled ‘Close to you’ ,ah wells, mind blown, maybe I’m just being nitpicky. I would like to think of this as being the artist first option of songs representing their first single release. Hands band is titled just that, ‘Hands’. But to be fair track 5 is titled ‘Hands’. Whatever the case, could be getting two birds one stone, could be limiting clutter from the cover and just getting to the point, point being the Hands band has arrived. The Hands band album is just an 8 track album, so pacing of songs to me is always a concern. The album starts off fast, and I mean really fast with the intro song ‘Uv ci nyiam oj lawm os’, which translates into English as ‘I don’t like you no more’ .If you like the sounds of the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, a Florida bred band, and you like the sound of their song “Face Down’ from their freshman album ‘Don’t you Fake It’, well then this song is right up your alley (to be clear the comparisons are beat wise, not lyrically because Hands band is all sung in Hmong). The song is filled with guitar riffs and strong bass sounds and drums. They shoot the gun from the start with the extremely quick up-beat song ‘Uv ci nyiam oj lawm os’ that grabs for attention straight from the gate, gets the listener all hyped up ready to head bang and move towards the mosh pit….then all a sudden the buzz kill….track 2 is titled ‘Ua cas yuav nco koj’, translated the song reads “Why do I miss you’ and it’s slow to a crawl at first, and I can’t help but wonder if Hands bands’ influence for this song was Bon Jovi. Pacing gets better as the next track is equal in fidelity to track 2. Track 3 is ‘Wb chaw pw’ ‘Our place to sleep. This is almost an entirely acoustic song throughout its’ first minute of play. The rest of the album starts to alternate from heavy rock songs to slower ballad type tunes. Just when you think you’ve heard all the tricks the Hands band has to offer, they have saved a puzzler of a song for their finally. Track 8 starts off eerily similar to Metallica’s ‘Nothing else matters’ and after the guitar solo there enters the voice of a female singer, yes you read that correctly, a female vocalist who’s been missing the entire album. Her part in the song is small as Nrees Xyooj takes over quickly with the vocals. There are occasions of male and female Hmong rap and even a belted scream from this female vocalist. This song has to be heard to comprehend its’ organized chaos. It’s not my most liked track, that honor goes to track 6 ‘Cog lus’, but track 8 ‘Txhob tuag’ is arguably the most interesting song of the album and smartly placed at the end for its’ wow factor. If we were to give the album a thumbs up or down…a thumbs up. If we were to give it a grade… a B-. Rate it on a scale…8.3/10. The only complaint I have and what’s lacking in this album…is that one catchy song that sticks and sticks and makes you all of a sudden sing it in the shower. For what little there is lacking though, there is much more being displayed. This was a solid effort for an up and coming Hmong band. A band that is physically stuck in Thailand and wasn’t even able to attend the Hmong New Year in the States, yet confident enough to showcase their skills from afar. I really hear and feel the talent in the music of these young artists and I hope they continue in their artistic endeavors. I enjoyed the album, a welcomed changed from the pop style Hmong artist that has arisen in popularity these last couple years. If you enjoy rock music fast or slow, be sure to pick up the Hands bands’ freshman cd and support their cause. This has been Hmong Apparels’ review of the music found on the Hands band cd. Credit goes to the artists; Nrees Xyooj lead vocals and producer, Nqee Xoj bass guitar, Ntuas Yaj drum and Faj Yaj guitar. If you would like to purchase their cd or get in contact with Hands band, you can like them on Facebook or email at hmonghands@gmail.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 05:41:52 +0000
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