Getting to Grips with Getting Along

Written by Chelsea Tiso

Graphic: Emily Lantzy

         Painfully sincere and persistently self-aware. These thoughts immediately came into mind as soon as the vocals on the new Slow Hollows track “Get Along” began to sing along to the somber tune.

         “Get Along” feels different from Slow Hollows' previous repertoire. The eerie, distorted piano riff that continues throughout the track and is later accompanied by the familiar sound of a piano gracefully bridges the gap between the first chorus and the second verse.

         Seemingly cryptic, the lyrics unwind steadily over the course of the song. As the verses unveil more and more of the story, they are separated by the repetitive hook— “get along.” This phrase, repeated 21 times within the song, enforces the desperation and yet dual insouciance felt by the penman. Lead singer and guitarist Austin Feinstein’s soft and yearning vocals combine effortlessly with the simple yet complex instrumentation of the song. The song's character seems pained yet indifferent, continuing to settle to “get along” with whomever or whatever.

         Just as this recently released track appears to be a subtle shift from their sound, the music video for the song also shows similar contrasts. Feinstein can be seen singing and clutching a microphone in a dually-lit room in a split screen with a home movie-esque video of him doing mundane things like brushing his teeth or washing the dishes. Then, as the song abruptly ends, the video continues for a few moments, further addressing how subtly different the song is compared to the norm and/or their previous songs.

         “Get Along” proves to be the perfect song to listen to while it's dark out, driving late at night with the windows down. Yet, it also feels like a song to back an indie coming-of-age, as well as the song you listen to when all seems lost but one thing helps keep you grounded. Whatever that may be, we all want to get along in some way shape or form. Be it with others or ourselves, Slow Hollows opened up my mind to the possible complacency that I am feeding myself.

         You can listen to their newest track on your favorite streaming service now.