The Holy Open Secret

Hoots and Hellmouth's second album might be better categorized as a folk record than anything else, but it's certainly eclectic and not content to stay in the boundaries of what's usually considered folk. In some respects it's a little like early folk-rock or 1960s jug band albums in which the groups seemed determined to prove they could play in several different styles. Sometimes they're a rabble-rousing alt-folk group ("Root of the Industry"); sometimes they're a frivolous good-time band with vocals that sound a little like a mixture of a more youthful Leon Redbone, the Violent Femmes, and Mungo Jerry; sometimes they opt for fairly straightforward earnest contemporary folk. There are strong streaks of bluegrass and gospel to some of the tunes, and even some ragtime jazz in "Dishpan Hands," but never so much that you'd call even any individual tracks bluegrass or gospel efforts. They're more interesting the more eccentric they are, especially on "What Good Are Plowshares If We Use Them Like Swords," where a creepy organ gives the material some welcome oomph. It sounds more like a debut than a sophomore effort in some respects, however, as the vacillating moods leave the impression they're not sure what they're trying to express.