Hala is the nickname of Detroiter
Ian Ruhala, a scrappy bedroom pop singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist making the transition from the D.I.Y. underground to major-label act. He got an early jump on his career, recording home-made albums during his teenage years that mixed the lo-fi charm of
Mac DeMarco with some of the pop ambition of
Paul McCartney, one of his acknowledged heroes.
Hala taught himself how to play all the instruments himself and in the latter part of the 2010s, his crafty, self-contained power pop missives earned some big numbers on streaming platforms. On
Red Herring, his debut for Universal, he adds just enough production gloss to entice mainstream credibility without losing the homespun charisma that got him here in the first place. Working with producer
Ryan Hadlock (
Vance Joy,
Ra Ra Riot) at Bear Creek Studios in Washington,
Hala tightened the focus on his winning formula, again playing every note, except for a few string parts, over a dozen amiable cuts that highlight his understated pop savvy. There's a bit of the
Kurt Vile/
Courtney Barnett chill in
Hala's breezy vocal delivery which rises and falls conversationally on tracks like "Turn Out Right" and "Lies," though he packs plenty of bright pop energy into the upbeat "Why Do You Want Anything to Do with Me" and the catchy "No-Body Knows." Standout "Emotional R&B" highlights
Hala in his most favorable light as a thoughtful songwriter with a strong melodic sense, a relaxed charm, and musical ability that is impressive without being showy.
Red Herring hits on a number of different modes and speeds within this vibe, but overall hangs together quite nicely, making for a solid debut.