FROG
HOLLER REVIEWS
for The High, High's and The Low, Low's
EP
"Released as a mini-album,
The High High's etc is a songwriter's album. There are seven carefully crafted,
Darren Schlappich written tracks that follow on neatly from Frog Holler's
critically acclaimed last album, Railings. I've become accustomed to Frog
Holler's style over the last wee while and Berks County Boy is sheer class,
pure Americana for the 21st century. Sleepy Eyes is a country/hillbilly sing-a-long
with beautiful guitar and mandolin phrasing and the classy Off Course Walking
is so simple, but then again all the best ones are. Supposed To Be Livin is
full of strong harmonies and cements that Frog Holler sound. Glitter shows
Schlappich's forte for writing a great chorus and this is so tight and so
laid back. They drift off into a little country/gospel on Ask Him Why and
this is the type of song that makes people want to pick up a guitar and play
along. The set finishes with the electric Million Things Good and they make
it sound so easy. This is the longest track of all and rounds things off well.
There are no pretensions here, just good music". David Blue -
Net Rhythms UK
"This EP of new
material, as well as a few updates from Frog Holler's debut, Couldn't Get
Along, kicks off with "Berks County Boy", a mid-tempo salute to
the band's small town Pennsylvania roots that rocks out at the end, pushed
into overdrive by Mott-era Mick Ralphs-inspired guitar licks......clearly
this multi-instrumentalist sextet goes for hooks first and foremost, which
is why "Glitter" - with it's melody reminiscent of Cornershop's
"Brimful of Asha" - "Ask Him Why," and "Million Things
Good" stick in your head for weeks after hearing them. Unpretentious
lyrics conveyed via songwriter-vocalist Darren Schlappich's everyman delivery
shows Frog Holler's smart as well as tuneful" - Larry O' Dean Amplifier
5 out-of 5 Thumbs up - "the high, high's and the low, low's - it's simply that good. A fumbly title like this sort of reinforces the band's sloppy but oh-so-affable appeal anyway.......the new EP continues Berks County's finest of finest so-good-it-makes-you-want-to-cry roots rock tradition. Yet again, FH bales street-smart songwriting and old-fashioned finger pickin' together with raucous rock and roll licks, guiding you through seven back-porch roots rock gems of happy events and sappy laments - the high highs and the low low's" - Patrick Kirchner The Fly
"Neo-hillbillies with a twist, Frog Holler plays mountain blues and country as accessible and modern as the most hummable pop" - The Washington Post Express
"Frog Holler come closer than any other current roots act to recapturing the communal spirit and rustic North Americana sound perfected, maybe even invented, by the Band" - Rick Cornell The Independent (NC)
"PA's finest countryrockbluegrasspop band …..hasn't ever really changed what they do, they've just gotten better and better at it through the passing years. Now, it might seem easy to be the best at what they do, because nobody else really does it, but it's more likely that no one else does because no one else can. It's an original blend of styles and singer/guitarist/composer Darren Schlappich may be the only living human being that can use the full range of that blend in each and every song. The result is a kind of carefully calculated sloppiness that never misses for me, as apt to produce a belly laugh as a tear, but sure to make you feel something every time." Shaun Dale Cosmik Debris
The High, High's & The Low, Low's - a new EP collecting some of the Shoemakersville, Pa.-based Frog Holler's unreleased originals and reworked versions of songs from their 1998 debut; it also neatly sums up the conflict at the heart of the six-piece's existence. Schlappich and his crack crew of banjo-pluckin', guitar-slidin', harmonica-lickin' honky-tonk miscreants write some of the most rollicking, heartfelt country rock songs this side of Nashville. Sure, they could "make it" in the big city. But who needs the big city when you can make it from the comfort of your own hometown?" - Brian Howard The Philadelphia City Paper
"loud and fun, but seems completely unforced with Schlappich effortlessly finding his sound without a hint of pretension. - Peter Funk Pop Matters
", this is another review past its deadline because of the constant tap of my foot on the floor and my finger on the "play" button." - Carl Noone Merge Digital
"a band whose star seems to keep rising with each passing year" - Liz Spikol The Philadelphia Weekly
a band that can rival anyone………. .at once loose and tight, delicate and yet chunky, a light dressing of organ fertilising the riffy guitar, with vocals as knowing and authentic as the grains in wood. - DC Americana UK
When he sings about being a "Berks County Boy," Darren Schlappich does so with pride and a touch of resignation - the songs reflect the depth and nuance and the lyrical sense of place that are the hallmark of Frog Holler's music" - Nick Cristiano The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Darren Schlappich's sad-eyed vocals and slice-of-rural-life lyrics have universal appeal that wins over music fans of all persuasions" Matt Smith (Philly) Metro
"The High, High's and The Low, Low's EP, a great collection of both new tunes and updated recordings from the band's earlier days. By the way, they kill live." -The Village Voice
"As always Darren Schlappich's songwriting is excellent, while his predilection for celebrating the virtues of his home state of Pennsylvania is as undiminished as ever." - Peter Funk Stylus Magazine
"Frog Holler is
concentrating on its Americana roots, all the while maintaining a relevance
and staying somehow ahead of the curve." Jim Speese The Reading Eagle