The songs on
the Curious Digit's
Hessian Hills are dark and brooding. The follow-up to
Bombay Aloo raised eyebrows in the experimental indie rock scene with the band's energized variation of epic and unpredictable rock. The Charlottesville, VA, quartet created more promising and eerily subtle music on this disc, their second full-length release. Most of the band's songs were penned by Adam Busch, later of
Manishevitz. Busch's vocals are reminiscent of Conor Oberst of
Bright Eyes. His voice has the rare ability to translate powerful emotions in a relaxed and mellow style. Parker Paul Wilkinson added some unforgettable keyboard sequences to the disc. The songs are all different, each a roller coaster of emotions with a folky or rock backdrop. "Parachute" is more downbeat than most of the songs, all of which are churning and emotional. "Erase" is hypnotic, while "Last Season" starts off somber and transforms into an uplifting epic and "Within a Jar" is a precise and sly folk classic. The disc ends with "Covet These," a relaxed yet lively album-closer. Released in 1997, the album was recorded by Geoff Turner at WGNS Studio and by Ian Jones at Evil Genius Studios. The Curious Digit disbanded soon after the album's release on Jagjaguwar Records. ~ Stephen Cramer