Band : The Hype
Album title : Have You Heard The Hype?
Label : CNR Entertainment
Distributor : CNR
Release date : 23/09/2011
Release : CD

This Dutch band (which takes its name after the often used practice in the British music press) was founded in 2004 around the core of lead singer/ guitarist Yorick van Norden, guitarist/ backing singer Jeroen Harmse, and keyboardist/ backing singer Dennis Weijers.

The band has gone through one drummer before, but has since settled on Koen Dijkmans, whom also adds to the backing vocals. The position at the bass has been a bigger problem, the band going through 4 previous musicians in that position, and currently again being without a bassist. No idea whom was in the band in 2006, when the band self-released its EP The Hype Under Construction. 2007 saw the band being the most booked band of the Popronde, and after coming in the finals thanks to a wildcad, the band won the Rob Acda Award. Success continued in 2008, when the band won the InHolland Popprijs, and in Oct. 2010 radio station 3FM bombarded the band to the status of “Serious Talent”, DJ Matthijs van Nieuwkerk naming The Hype as one of the discoveries of the season. With the Serious Talent Tour the Hype (alongside Handsome Poets and Chef' Special) played several of Holland's Pop venues.

Now, for the band's musical direction, they've taken inspiration from the '60s (with such bands as The Byrds, the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, the Kinks, but also and foremost the Beatles), the '70s (Neil Young, Harry Nilsson, David Bowie, and Sex Pistols), but also from the '90s (Oasis, Radiohead) and from contemporary music (Ryan Adams, The Strokes)...and the combination makes for nice melodic songs which on the one foot stand firmly in “the days of old”, but with the other one stand also firmly in the now! In essence, it's remarkably melodic Guitar Pop with quite a bit of organ sounds. The only thing not quite there, is a remarkable lead singer. Oh, I know, I'm gonna get bunked on the head by the band's fans for saying so, but van Norden is really just an average singer, and the only reason why the vocal part of this band sounds good after all, is because of the real nice harmony vocals (definitely the Beatles' influence, there!). With only 9 songs on the 35-minute album, the band still feels the need to bring a cover of Manfred Mann's Earth Band's “Mighty Quinn”, and this song is the ideal proof for my point about the lead singer's “shortcomings”.

Wanna hear some music? At (www.) thehypemusic.nl you'll find several videos on the home page (actually, even though said cover track is not among the songs posted, that should be enough to make up your mind about this band). Follow the band on their facebook if you care.

83/100

Tony.