The Spanish word hacienda means estate or vast ranch. In music terms, Hacienda is translated into a measureless field of colorful vintage tones, brisk harmonies and cropped by a danceable rhythm section. All of which is produced from the sonic soul of three brothers and a cousin from San Antonio, Texas.
Hacienda recently released its debut album, “Loud is the Night.” Dan Auerbach of the blues-rock duo, the Black Keys, caught wind of the band and decided to produce and engineer the album in his Akron, Ohio studio.
“Loud is the Night,” which was recorded in just two studio sessions, captures the natural vibe of Hacienda’s straight-forward classic rock n’ roll.
“We pretty much recorded each song live in two or three tracks,” drummer, Jaime Villanueva said. “We wanted to make rock n’ roll in the most classic sense, like the Beatles or Elvis,”
“Loud is the Night” is seeded deep between the classic grooves of the psychedelic-era Beatles and the California surf scene fixed by the Beach Boys. Each member of Hacienda lends a vocal cord or two on seemingly every track, harmonizing through each hook – reminiscent of the Band, the Eagles and Dr. Dog, with whom Hacienda is embarking on the first leg of the tour to support “Loud is the Night.”
“We’re new to this, so they’re [Dr. Dog] kind of showing us the ropes,” Villanueva said about the first three shows, all of which were sold out.
The opening track, “She’s Got a Hold on Me,” provides a sunny vocal melody that rides on a fuzzed-out bass line, dances atop a lively telecaster and fits just right between the stamping kick and clapping snare.
Auerbach and Hacienda show their appreciation for 50’s dance songs with the sock-hop screamer, “Hear Me Crying.” The Wonders may have covered this in that Tom Hank’s flick, “That Thing You Do.” Not really.
The tumbling drumbeat, blissful guitar and softly sweet harmonies sound first rate on the Accord’s speakers and would bop even better atop look-out point. The track escalates into a climatic verse during which the whole band sings with conviction, “Holding you tight, loving you right,” as the keys continue to gently weep in the distance.
Good things need not be spoiled, so pick-up “Loud is the Night,” and get down.
By HUNTER EMBRY
Staff Writer
ahembry@ius.edu