Say Hi to single-syllable songs

Say Hi takes on a theme well traveled in the rock genre ‘mdash; songs about a girl. The idea of… Say Hi takes on a theme well traveled in the rock genre ‘mdash; songs about a girl. The idea of songs with girls’ names is usually enough to make you skip the sap-filled gushfest that you’d expect, but Say Hi makes the concept bearable, even catchy. The girls are all there: Eloise, Hallie, Maurine, Audrey, Sallie and a few unnamed subjects, and Say Hi tells you all about them in its sixth release, Oohs ‘amp; Aahs. Say Hi, called Say Hi to Your Mom until the release of last year’s The Wishes and the Glitch, was known for supernaturally infused lyrics and references to Joss Whedon characters. The band had futuristic blips to back up its tales of the robots to come. There was a darker edge, a constant mood of the electronically fueled beat. Oohs ‘amp; Aahs takes a different approach. That is, different for Say Hi, but not something revolutionary in the world of rock. The songs are entertaining to be sure, but there is no shortage of songs with girls’ names. It’s the sweet-girl tribute with little doses of brass instruments amid the guitar that brings to mind Someone Still Love You Boris Yeltsin. You can take the need for the acronym out of the band, but you can’t take away the influence of its SSLYBY brethren. Say Hi puts its own spin on the tradition, and the result is far from boring. The lyrics are sparse, but with the slow-paced delivery and pauses to highlight bass and beats, it’s hard to notice. You get caught up in the songs, left with no time to quibble over the lyrics-to-music ratio. Still, the synth seeps away a bit, making way for bass and a lighter style. The old style comes out in little flares, but you’ll hardly miss it while you’re listening to the monosyllabic choruses, singing along with the infectious ‘Get ’em. / Uh huh huh’ of ‘Dramatic Irony’ or the ‘Oh’ of’ ‘Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh.’ Unfortunate name aside, ‘Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh’ deserves to be put on repeat and listened to at least as many times as they use the word ‘Oh.’ The random brass doesn’t really make sense, other than to announce the royally entertaining notes to come. There’s a guitar and bass to spare, all with a cool delivery that knits the upbeat with the low key. Of course, it is about a girl, but the imagery makes the track worthwhile. The words are a little strange, describing her as having ‘lips like a sofa’ and saying, ‘If the devil was a girl, and she wore a yellow T, / It would be a spitting image.’ Oh, this song is catchy. Plus, you only have to learn one word to sing along with the chorus. Bonus. The single-word chorus is reminiscent of tracks from The Wishes and Glitch, but replacing our favorite angst-ridden creatures of the night with slightly less-interesting, yet classic, subject of girls. It’s a safe road. Generally, when your track listings sound like the roster of the Zac Efron Fan Club, the outlook is not good. Luckily, ‘Eloise’ is a DJ and in a Seattle indie band, and the devil girl of ‘Oh’ wears Sauconys. At least they’re interesting people and Say Hi can back up the sap with interesting, buzz-worthy tunes. We’ve seen the girl-centric songs before, but the step away from the heavy synth is refreshing. It’s nice to see a band show its musical versatility by trying out a different sound. There’s always going to be that moral dilemma: Can I accept this newness or do I just want my synth and vampires?