Desert Hollow: “Thirsty” (2021) CD Review

Desert Hollow is the duo of Nicole Olney and Xander Hitzig, coming together from opposite sides of the country and now based in southern California. During the past year, like a lot of artists, these guys performed a series of concerts online, gathering an appreciative audience. And now they are putting out their debut release, an EP titled Thirsty, which features all original material. Both musicians sing and play several instruments, with Nicole Olney on guitar, banjolele and kazoo, and Xander Hitzig on guitar, fiddle, banjo, whistle and mandolin. They also have some seriously talented musicians joining them on these tracks, including Johnny Hawthorn (of The HawtThorns) on steel guitar, Matt Lucich (whom you can hear on Kate Pierson’s Guitars And Microphones album) on drums, James “Hutch” Hutchinson (known for his work with Bonnie Raitt) on bass, and Adrienne Isom (of Nocona) on bass.

The EP opens with its title track, “Thirsty,” which begins with a rather pretty instrumental section. And soon Nicole Olney’s equally pretty voice comes in: “I’m thirsty every day, but there ain’t no drink that fills me up for good/So, baby, I’ll drink you just a little more than I think I should.” This song has a sweet, pleasant, uplifting folk sound. “‘Cause, baby, sometimes it feels really good to stop giving a shit.” Ah yes, so true. That line rings particularly true these days, when life can be exhausting. “Baby, it’s no wonder that I feel most myself in the rain/And when I hear that thunder, it feels like coming home again.” There is a wonderful instrumental section toward the end, one that I wish went on a little longer. That’s followed by “I Can’t Wait For Summer,” with Xander Hitzig on lead vocals. I don’t think there is a soul alive who will argue with the song’s opening line, “It’s been a long, lonely winter.” That line is truer this year than at any time in recent memory. Aren’t we all looking forward to summer this year? We might be able to attend baseball games, visit our families and friends, and, of course, see live music by then. Feels like a dream. This track, which was written by Xander Hitzig, features some really nice work on fiddle, and is about all those things that make summer eternally appealing.

On the back of the CD case, the third track is listed as “Take Me Back To Nowhere,” but actually “Look At Those Birds” comes before that (that mistake might be fixed before the official release). “Look At Those Birds” has a more somber, haunting sound at the start, with some beautiful harmonizing. “Look at those birds flying high up in the West Virginia sky/I’m searching for my words, but I think I floated up too high.” Then “Take Me Back To Nowhere” has me from its opening lines, “I feel nasty, I feel gross/From my head down to my toes/And there’s nothing I can do about it now.” This is a totally delightful, fun number, with Xander on lead vocals. It is one of those country numbers about the advantages of living out in the country, or “in the middle of nowhere,” as he sings. Though of course “the city’s fun to visit for a beer.” This track features more good work on fiddle, as well as some wonderful stuff on guitar. The EP then concludes with “Mary,” a song written and sung by Nicole Olney, and featuring some excellent lyrics, such as these lines: “Got ten pages left in all of her books/And all of her lovers are gamblers and crooks.” The line that really stands out for me each time I listen is, “She’s tired of this living, but she’s afraid to die.” That’s a great line.

CD Track List

1. Thirsty
2. I Can’t Wait For Summer
3. Look At Those Birds
4. Take Me Back To Nowhere
5. Mary
   

Thirsty is scheduled to be released on May 14, 2021 on Mule Kick Records.