photo courtesy of Rock Rose Music

Album Review of Håkon Høye: Nights at the Surf Motel (Big H Records)

Håkon Høye is a rockin’ Norwegian bluesman whose Nights at the Surf Motel, his full-length second release, is an engaging collection of blues rock songs.

Håkon kicks off the album with the kind of blues riff that would lure any passerby into a blues/rock club upon hearing it. The album-opening song, “Junkyard of Dreams,” is a fun, inviting number, providing the perfect entry point to this record. It has the feel of an enjoyingly bluesy, classic garage rock number.

photo courtesy of Rock Rose Music

In fact, opening riffs are a specialty on this disc. Every song starts with a guitar chord or drum beat that, within a split-second, is likely to elicit a “crank this up” response.

Song two, “Stay Awhile,” couples a hypnotic rhythm with the cool lyric, “She said, ‘Come on in, don’t be shy, leave your shoes at the door. Don’t be afraid to stay awhile, ’cause I will keep you warm.'”

Next up, Håkon changes the pace with a funky blues number, the cool, catchy “One Floor Down.” There’s even a hint of a bluesy Gospel influence on “Good Thing.” Next up, “You Must Believe Me” has a lighter feel, mixing Motown-ish harmonies, prominent hornwork, and kind of a dancing, light-touch blues guitar line.

“Sweet Sugar You” returns the record to down ‘n dirty blues, with a nastier, thumping blues rhythm, but Håkon keeps mixing things up, as the next song, “My Darkest Hour,” is much more softly instrumented with a somewhat lo-fi sound.

photo courtesy of Rock Rose Music

“Time Will Tell” follows, with a slow, swampy blues flavor, which flows neatly into the beginning of “Wastin’ Time With You” before that song picks up tempo a bit more, showcasing a somewhat disjointed, herky-jerky rhythm.

Håkon closes the collection with the title track, “Nights at the Surf Motel,” a slow-paced, soulful blues number that features modest guitar runs and heartfelt blues vocals.

For me, Nights at the Surf Motel began as a pleasant listen – clearly a quality blues record featuring top-shelf musicians – and then revealed the quality of its blues magic over repeated listens, eventually becoming an anticipated visit on my daily audio journey through my review queue. I’m sure you’ll recognize the quality of this album during your first listen, too; be sure to keep on listening, though, because this collection of songs gets continually better over the course of frequent visits.

Looking Ahead

If one thing’s apparent, it’s that a Håkon Høye live gig must be a must-see. I don’t see any dates listed on the “Events” tab of Håkon’s Facebook page, but it’s not clear if that’s regularly updated. Be sure to follow his Facebook page, though, because gigs are sometimes mentioned there. Also worth noting, Håkon shares some great photos via his Instagram account.