Say Hi –

“Oohs &

Aahs”

Final

Rating: 6.5

It’s understandable why singer-songwriter and man behind Say Hi To Your Mom shortened the indie-pop band’s name to simply Say Hi in 2008. I always held the misconception that the group was one of those annoying pop punk/power pop bands that I, for the most part, can’t stand. However, Say Hi is something entirely different, and above all, incredibly pleasant to listen to.

Say Hi originated as a one-man effort from New Yorker Eric Elbogen. His lyrics are on the witty side and carry a lot of the band’s sound. Elbogen’s singing style falls somewhere in between the style of Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst, M. Ward, and Andrew Bird. Fortunately, Elbogen has found his own sound, which is one of the aspects that make Say Hi’s overall sound so appealing.

On the band’s sixth album, “Oohs & Aahs,” there’s not much new from the band, except they’ve moved to Seattle and signed to Barsuk Records. The cover is still strikingly similar to the style of the previous five albums: a solid color album with cartoonish drawings. This time it’s a pinkish background with a little telephone, devil and a skeleton holding a rifle. At least I didn’t have to walk far in the record store to find the album. It’s another reminder that you know what you’re getting when you listen to a Say Hi record.

The tracks continue the Say Hi tradition of being around three-minutes long, which puts the 10-track “Oohs & Aahs” at right around 30 minutes. Elbogen knows to keep things short and simple, and writes a great pop song.

The overall sound of the album manages to remain fairly lo-fi, but there’s a little more production than normal. This could be due to the Barsuk move, but it’s not noticeable enough to impede the listening experience. Elbogen steers away from sounding like the Postal Service this time around (something he’s slowly but surely gotten away from) using keyboards minimally and sticking with acoustic guitar, simple drumbeats and catchy rhythms. Think old Death Cab meets Wolf Parade meets Pedro the Lion.

I can’t say that Say Hi have progressed a great deal since 2002, but it’s not really a bad thing. In the last year, the band has dropped the annoying part of its title and put out two enjoyable indie-pop records including this month’s “Oohs & Aahs.”

Track Picks:

“Elouise”

“November Was White”

“One, Two … One”