With their widely recognized and acclaimed debut, Warriors of the Light, Sons of Hippies caught the attention of listeners and critics in the Sarasota/Tampa area, and achieved a devout fan base. Now, with their sophomore release, A-Morph, Sons of Hippies strive to preserve the sound they’ve created, while upping the production without compromising their artistic intentions.
Powerful chord progressions similar to The White Stripes, which act not only as the base for melodies but as melodies themselves, drive all eleven tracks of A Morph. Despite the fact that the chord progressions are driving, up lifting, and even poppy in a certain light, there is something undeniably dark in the production of A Morph. Singer/guitarist Katherine Kelly fashioned absolutely fantastic guitar tones, the kind that can only be birthed from a vintage tube amp. They are rich and clean, dirty, yet crisp. They simultaneously possess a classic over driven tone and a modern, gut-shaking punch

Kelly’s vocals, much like her guitar, are clean and powerful. They are not overtly feminine, cutesy, or whining, which is an aggravating theme of many female vocalists in the indie scene. Her range is remarkable and on-point, and the simple tone of her voice is beautiful, easy to take in.

The rhythm section, composed of Jonnas Cannales on drums and Ryan O’Neill on bass, complement Kelly’s unique rhythms perfectly. This is specifically notable on the track, “Omni”. Cannales and O’Neill play with and against Kelly’s guitars, as well as each other, in such a way that it creates an indescribable poly-rhythmic dance-rock section. This is indicative of their talent and is apparent throughout the record.

A Morph opens with “Stars XVIi”, an ominous 0:47 intro. The echoing riff that opens the album is a foreshadowing for what will later come into play as A Morph comes to a close with the track “Stars”. The silence of “Stars XVIi” subsides with the explosion of “Jab Away”, an immediately powerful and continuously relentless song.

The first half of the album continues with this theme. Each song is up beat, relentless, catchy and gritty. “Omni”, as noted previously, starts with an awesome call and response sort of rhythm between Katherine Kelly’s guitar and O’Neill’s bass. It then abruptly transitions into a chant, with a sort of primitive tribal rhythm section backing it up. Then, just as abruptly as the transition before, they switch back into the original riff. SoH’s ability to blend such differing sections/styles/rhythms is widespread throughout the album and is one of the main contributing factors to what makes A Morph so enjoyable to listen to.

Half way through A Morph, SoH embrace the darker side of their music with the track “Will We Live Again”. Slowing rising to an audible volume is a ticking clock, seemingly appropriate given the title of the song. Kelly’s slightly dirty guitars then enter with the classic, eerie, two-note progression with a half note interval (think of the Jaw’s theme song), and later explode into a thunderous mid tempo chorus.

The opening riff of “Man or Moon” sounds like something straight off of Sonic Youth’s album Goo, and the slow-lo on the following track, “Dunes”, sounds like it came out of the early 90’s.

Sons of Hippies manage to blend a plethora of styles and tones, ranging from gritty rock from the early 70s to echoing riffs from the late 80s, all while embracing basic chord progressions and putting their own stamp on the music, making it unmistakably original.

A Morph sounds better in every way in comparison to Warriors of the Light. The songs and better written, the album is well produced, the tones are crisper, and it is simply more powerful. Sons of Hippies have created a sound that unique in its own. Though their many conscious and unconscious influences are evident throughout the album, they are so vast and so strangely implemented that it is impossible to say that they wear them on their sleeve.