Album Review // Seann Clark and Friends // Hallow Dreams
4.25/5 stars
Featuring a revolving door of Clark's long-time collaborators from the Erie area and beyond, Hallow Dreams is a love letter to all the brilliant, heartfelt sounds that he has been making for years. While Clark has long been a local mainstay, he's recently kept up a feverish stretch of recording, releasing this nine-track album on St. Patrick's Day, following a 12-track LP in January, and nine individual tracks since 2024. This can likely be credited by his team-up with Josh Karickhoff of Lonelyman Productions, who also provides much of the album's blistering lead guitar work. The opening few tracks of the album are definitely highlighting Seann Clark and Friends. Sporting a multi-genre party atmosphere, you can tell that everyone is having the greatest time making this music. The tones then shift from smoky bar room anthems like "One Way Jesus" and "Belladonna" to vulnerable ballads like "It Was Always You" and "Sometimes" to everywhere in between. Clark is joined by some of his most frequent guests, like vocalists Colette Bone, Brenna Bone Webb, and Shelly Peeso, along with his former Mighty Sea bandmate Abby Barrett on strings. Tony Kellogg provides lap steel, Adam Holquist piano, and Frank Marzano ukulele and guitar. Eric Hall lays down some bass, Jon Lane Teater drums, and our own Larry Wheaton guests on trombone. McKenzie Sprague and Josh Bodenweiser add guest vocals as well, with Dave Tamulonis on violin, Jeremy Kloekner and Lonnie Pound on cajon, with Jonny Evans adding a few verses as well. It's all held together by Clark's guitar, gruff, yet warm vocals, and his passionate songwriting.
