Hollow River’s Spider Web Eyes has a whole lot of heart. It’s a charming collection of folk songs that lean heavily on pop punk without straying into gimmicks. Spider Web Eyes paints a portrait of an earnest and self-critical artist who is consumed with making things right for the people around him.
That doesn’t mean that the EP is bogged down with guilt or masochism. It just shows Hollow River’s pure conscientiousness towards the rest of the world. Above all, these songs are actually pretty peaceful, as if these moments are just a few random snapshots in a habitual train of thought rather than deep emotional crises. It helps, I think, as a reminder about how important it is to be kind to ourselves all the time, and not just when that noonday demon appears in full force.