Harry Braswell, Ben Wescott, and Nick Woehrle – aka Harry and the Hootenannies – are all University of South Carolina graduates who met in a bagel shop and – long story short – put together a trio that’s been variously likened to Primus, the Grateful Dead, Rush, and Led Zeppelin. There’s certainly a proggy, psychie, rocky sort of feel to ‘The Scam That Never Ends’, but there’s some serious funk groove too, courtesy of some proper five-string bass grind and jazzy, folk-inspired drums.
‘The Scam That Never Ends’ is upbeat, bouncy, wacky, zany, and disjointed in a totally good way; there’s elements of Fantomas, early Faith No More, and Mr. Bungle in there too, with elements of ska and psychedelia amidst the funk-rock chaos. It’s all damn good fun, with an impressive amount of musical virtuosity and time-signature-changing noise-making (especially for a three piece) on offer here.
You can hear ‘The Scam That Never Ends (Part 1) on SoundCloud. Follow Harry and the Hootenannies on Facebook and Instagram.
Review by Alex Holmes
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