Come on, the Water’s Fun!

That cover. THAT COVER. The nighttime underwater wonderland is just out of reach but in full reach of our imagination, big thanks to the music hiding among the buried treasure. It’s all that is needed to reel in swimmers-by. Hollie Cook catches ears by pleasant surprise and lets them soak in the wonderful aquatic realm of Vessel of Love. It’s not every day the entire musical world an album depicts is presented in the cover art. Well done, Ms. Cook. Her sound is consistent throughout the project, which at times becomes a tad repetitive, but doesn’t bring down the overall quality.

The recording and sound mixing are simply excellent throughout. Each (predictable) offbeat heard in the guitar is rich and full of sound, never coming across as too heavy and certainly not too light or skimpy. Each note resonates with care and intent. Every song on here and every sound in it oozes with underwater happiness, as if the characters in The Little Mermaid formed a reggae band.

“Ghostly Fading” is the only weak song, mainly on the grounds that it doesn’t have any memorable qualities to it. It’s a pawn, simply conforming to the sounds around it, adding quantity, not harming the quality. While not to the caliber of pop music, most of the other songs have catchy hooks that stick in stronger with a second listen. The small variation in the offbeat-heavy reggae sound brings “Turn it Around” to life, a track that opens with a drum fill and establishes a different groove than before and after it.

“Stay Alive” is easily the most catchy, allowing Cook’s voice to come over, sit down, and lean on the shoulders of those listening. “Lunar Addiction” stays in memory with its line “no sense of gravity,” sung in just the right way to feel weightless. Overall, the most enjoyable listening experience comes from the opener, “Angel Fire,” where the backing instrumentals glisten warmly, and Cook’s voice and the trombone solo tag team the lead on this lead track. Every listen of “Angel Fire” makes real life seem incomplete, and the underwater salsa party where this is playing seem like THE place to be.

Whether it’s trying to stay afloat in harsh waters, not straying far from solid ground or wanting to stay close with someone, Cook jumps in and sings tunes that go below the surface.