Silently Crying is a simplistic yet slick and familiar collection of old-timey blues songs that could be easily suited to a southern saloon.

Hooyoosay, the ever-evolving musical collective, takes a soul-stirring journey through the heartland of country music with their latest EP, “Silently Crying.” This release invites listeners into a world where the rich storytelling tradition of country music is reimagined and presented with a unique Hooyoosay twist.

“Silently Crying” opens with the track “Sitting in the Rain” setting the stage with plucky, upbeat guitar and juxtaposing emotive lyrics that are quintessentially blues. The lyrics, brimming with longing and introspection, are at the forefront, delivering a powerful emotional punch.

The singer’s suave, monotone voice also adds a layer of cool to the Song and defeats emotionlessness in the melancholic lyrical content.

The EP then transitions into “Hands Off,” which sees a female singer take the lead over a 90’s-style country instrumental. The independent, proud feminist lyrical content is akin to someone like Shania Twain, with the song having somewhat of a “pop” sounding layer that is also a big feature in her music.

However, this song isn’t one of my favourites. I feel like it could’ve been placed better in the album, as the switch from slower, suave blues to faster-paced, louder country felt a little bit jarring in my opinion and not well timed.

“Who’s Driving Your Plane” returns to the similar blues/grass music that was displayed on the opening song. However, this time the guitar holds more presence and the instrumentation feels more punchy.

Still, though this song left me unimpressed, I felt it was just more of the same and virtually identical to the opening track; the only thing that was slightly varied was the lyrical content.

“Happy World” then shifts the EP’s focus onto something a little more out there and creative. The lyrics aim to shine a light on climate change and how first-world greed and carelessness have accelerated its process.

The lead female singer puts on a great emotional display, and you can really feel the passion she has for this particular topic of discussion. I think it’s definitely the most meaningful song on the EP and probably the most creatively ambitious.

The EP then closes with “Jenny”, a decent closing track that follows the same sombre notes as the previous. The lead male singer sings delicately of a lover, while the guitar and harmonica complement each other to create a lonesome, western-sounding instrumental.

The track serves as a well-rounded closer to the EP and loops back to the opening track “Silently Crying” through similar sounds and themes.

Score/Good: Although I think there is definitely room for improvement for Hooyoosay, their EP showed an understanding of the bluegrass genre and the ability to create compelling songs that feature great musicianship and storytelling.

[We rank albums on a scale of: Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, Outstanding.]

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