Hank the Businessman – “Mountain”
Hank the Businessman is an Acoustic/Folk/Rock/Progressive solo artist out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He recently released a new EP, “Mountain”, a four song album that you will listen to from start to finish! Hank the Businessman did an amazing job of incorporating all of the genres in which he labels himself under into these four songs!
The man behind the music is Joe Leytrick. I was lucky enough to get the chance to speak with Joe to gain a little insight into Hank the Businessman. “I write under Hank the Businessman because I had a suit and tie job that changed my outlook on careers.” The more bands/artists I meet, the more the story seems to be similar. Many of these band members have successful day jobs but feel stuck in a career that is not making them happy. It’s inspiring to see so many people that have such a strong passion for their art that they are willing to leave a stable career to pursue their dreams!
“Mountain” starts off with Heaven Speaks Well. From the second I first heard this song, I knew I was going to enjoy the rest of the EP. It begins with a beautiful guitar chord accompanied by the light tapping of the symbols. Hank the Businessman’s crystal clear vocals come in strong, with “Heaven speaks well, and I think you know, and I hope you know, something’s going, and it’s showing, walking after work”. This song is so good because Hank continuously transitions from the guitar and symbols to full instrumentals throughout the song. The song is softer when it needs to be, and hits hard when it should! The chorus amplifies the song, as the instrumentals become louder, faster, and more intense.
Hank the Businessman continues on with Too Far. This song is great because it encompasses everything I love within an acoustic/folk/indie track. The verses of the song are filled with great, high toned guitar riffs and a strong drumming presence. What I love the most is Hank’s ability to switch up styles within the song. The last few instrumental lines before the chorus lighten up, with the acoustic guitar playing and very light, simple drumming in the background. Hank’s vocals shine here and will have everyone singing along with him! “For some time I noticed a trend, for some time, I’ve been smiling big end to end. For some time I’ve noticed or it seems, that for some time, we’ll see, we’ll see. FALLEN TOO FAR, TOO FAR, but now I see. FALLEN TOO FAR, sunken titanic deep. FALLEN TOO FAR, it’s now what it may seem FALLEN TOO FAR, TOO FAR BUT NOW I SEE”.
Too Far is followed by the EP titled track, Mountain. This is my favorite song on the EP. I can’t get enough of the Dashboard Confessional vibes I get when listening to this song. The fast paced, hard hitting acoustic guitar that is played during this song is similar to the style that Chris Carrabba came with on the early Dashboard Confessional albums. You can feel the emotion and intensity that went into the recording! The song includes a sick guitar solo that will be a perfect jam session during a show to keep the crowd moving! I strongly suggest everyone add this song to every playlist they listen to regularly! “Mountain” ends with the song Music. The lyrics in this song are definitely relatable to many of us! “The traffic is getting in the way and now my my mind has slipped into outer space. The shower and my beds the end game because It’s been long day, you see broken phone isn’t calling now, swerving out of control when I come around light-headed, when hunger is profound, I’m done, it’s been a long day. But i have headphones in my ears, drain out the rest of the world. In the music, music I hear. Tune sick, tune sick, I fear. So listen, so listen, so clear”. I definitely connected with these lyrics greatly because I often listen to music during times of hardship and stress. It’s such a relaxing and refreshing feeling to be able to drain out all of your problems/worries for a little while and listen to music that you love!
Hank the Businessman’s new EP, “Mountain”, is one that will definitely grab the listener’s attention. The catchy vocals, infectious guitar playing and strategically incorporated drumming make for one killer album! Make sure you follow Hank the Businessman on all of his social media accounts and check out songs from “Mountain” on the blog’s Spotify playlist: After Hours Review!