Hollow (Bonus Track Version)

A song as sweet and dreamlike as “By Your Side” would likely have been quite a hit with alternative music fans back in the ‘80s when groups like the Smiths, Echo & The Bunnymen, the Cure and R.E.M. were well served by an adoring public. Auckland, New Zealand’s Cut Off Your Hands pull off a sublime mix of guitar jangle and ponder, of dreamy synths and ambitious melodies. “You Should Do Better” leads off with a sashaying rhythm, a guitar figure worthy of the Smiths’ Johnny Marr and a vocal as glorious as classic Morrissey. “Nausea” throws in a Peter Buck jangle. “Oh Hell” puts together harmonies and vocals that kiss the reverb like it’s 1985 all over again. Yet, it isn’t fair to call the music “retro.” It isn’t deliberately trying to imitate anything; it’s the sound of a group embracing a particular approach and sound. They believe in creating beautiful songs. “All It Takes,” “Down & Out” and the bonus track “Caesar” deliver on that promise.