78Violet ‘Hothouse’ single review: by David Deady
Jul 15, 2013
From Savage Garden to the Pet Shop Boys, there have been some truly illustrious duos in pop music history. One of the most unacknowledged and underappreciated however, is sister act Aly & AJ. Former Disney starlets, Aly & AJ achieved a heady degree of success in the mid-2000s; tracks like Potential Break-up Song and Like Woah solidified their place in the charts across the globe and helped them to gain quite a significant following and critical appreciation for their work in the process. Yet, despite selling over four million albums worldwide, the sisters rather unceremoniously disappeared from the music scene in 2008 with nothing but elusive whispers and muted rumours of new material. Finally, now emerging from the depths of the musical wilderness as new band 78Violet, it has taken Aly & AJ Michalka over 5 years to regroup, rename and release new material, but has the wait been worth it?
Hothouse, released on July 8th 2013, is dreamy, wistful and beautiful and is certainly a marked change in direction from the electro pop/rock feel of Aly & AJ’s previous offerings. The songstresses harmonize divinely throughout the folksy track, flaunting their considerable vocal talent in slow, almost undulating fashion. There is something perfectly unique about the way 78Violet construct their music, infusing it to the brim with their own personality and eccentricity. In an era where homogenisation within pop music has become the norm, Aly & AJ have continually pushed the envelope in terms of how pop music should be created. Hothouse has a curious mix of both mainstream and indie appeal and aptly reflects where the sisters are in their careers, perhaps trying to distance themselves from their early roots while not forsaking the fans who have remained so loyal. It is most definitely a pop song but
Hothouse has a mellow and established vibe to it that belies the youthful years of its creators.
In terms of the lyrics, there is a soulful, almost Lana Del Rey or She & Him quality to Hothouse, telling a cautionary tale of love in an infectiously catchy yet soothing manner. “You’re a hothouse flower, something I cannot handle” the sisters sing, presumably comparing their flawed object of desire to the untameable nature of the pampered and privileged hothouse flower. It is a delightful if obscure metaphor but certainly adds to the appeal of the single, affixing a level ambiguity and discovery that is sorely lacking in much pop music. The video compliments this feel of the song, beginning with a breathless 3 minute prologue that has become a staple feature in these “objet d’art” creations. The pastoral setting is spectacular while the sisters exude a smouldering elegance against the picturesque backdrop. Although admittedly the video may look like it was entirely shot using Instagram and has an air of pretension about it, it is still nonetheless a striking and evocative piece of film work.
Hothouse is a magnum opus and only further illustrates Aly & AJ’s status as a truly underrated contemporary pop duo. It is simply a glorious piece of music, intelligently structured and exquisitely produced. I applaud the sisters for taking such a risk on their comeback and hopefully with the release of this single and a new album on the horizon, 78Violet can finally attain a lasting and dominant position in the music world and rightfully reap the rewards that their talent warrants.
9/10
David Deady
David Deady
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