I saw these guys live last summer at a small, one-day festival in Madison, WI, and was impressed by their ability to blow pretty much everyone else away, including headliners The Black Keys. I listened to their debut album quite a bit before seeing them headline in a much smaller venue in May. They are a great band live, and the first album captures this energy well. The second album isn't as "foot-stompin'," as they've self-described themselves, and is, admittedly, somewhat of a sophomore slump. That doesn't necessarily make it a bad listen, however. It seems like the interplay between instruments is coming together smoothly, and one could possibly compare their first two albums to their one-time tourmates Meat Puppets. Obviously that is going to get some backlash, as Meat Puppets II is a highly-revered album amongst indie fans and those into Nirvana's unplugged, but I see the potential to create an "Up On The Sun" for their next album.

The Kings of Leon comparisons are going to come in droves, obviously, and if you're a fan of the Followill's I'd advise you to buy both albums. The lyrics are world's apart, however, as you'd have to strain to find the type of straightforward boy-girl songs that populate KoL's catalog. The ace-in-the-hole, as far as I'm concerned, that HHT have is Lennon Bone, who sings lead on one song "Buckle in the Bible Belt" and two on this. It's like the difference between "Free Bird" and the Allman Brothers' "Melissa"--at worst a welcome, uplifting change.

I have known HaHa Tonka for years and with each new year their music continues to amaze me. They are not only very talented musicians, but also genuine and fun loving guys. Their music is meaningful and original. The lyrics leave you pondering and the music makes you get up and move. Congratulations on the new album!