B-Side Guys

Well, well, well, look who’s back with a brand new bag of tricks. Brian Halloran, the man behind the introspective and pandemic-inspired “The Cocktail Hour,” has returned with “Overnumerousness,” a whirlwind of an album that sees him fully embracing his pop sensibilities and delivering a collection of songs that are as catchy as they are quirky.

Clocking in at a lean 30 minutes, “Overnumerousness” wastes no time in getting down to business. The album opener, “A.K.A.,” is a self-deprecating rumination on lost love that sets the tone for the rest of the record – equal parts witty, wistful, and ridiculously hummable. It’s the kind of song that lodges itself in your brain and refuses to leave, like a musical squatter who’s decided to set up shop in your cerebral cortex.

But the real standout here is “Hip Flask,” a duet with singer/songwriter Michelle Rescigno that’s part lovers’ quarrel, part boozy singalong. Over a jaunty, Rickie Lee Jones-inspired groove, Halloran and Rescigno trade barbs and quips like a modern-day Johnny and June, their voices intertwining with a playful chemistry that’s impossible to resist. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to grab a drink, grab a partner, and dance around your living room like nobody’s watching.

Elsewhere on the album, Halloran turns his keen eye and sharp wit towards the absurdities of modern life. “I Got Nothing For You” is a biting takedown of the superficiality of dating apps, while “The MacGuffin” is a twisted tale of infidelity that’s equal parts Elvis Costello and Film Noir. These are songs that aren’t afraid to get a little dark, a little weird, and a little bit too real – the perfect soundtrack for navigating the bizarre landscape of 21st-century existence.

Musically, “Overnumerousness” is a smorgasbord of influences and styles, from the New Wave-inspired synths of “Always In The Wrong Place” to the brass-laden swagger of “Hurricane Season.” Halloran wears his influences on his sleeve, channeling everyone from The Jam to Jackson 5 with gleeful abandon. But rather than feeling derivative, these nods to the past feel like a loving homage, a reminder of the enduring power of a well-crafted pop song.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Brian Halloran album without a healthy dose of quirk, and “Overnumerousness” delivers on that front in spades. “Linda, Honey, Listen,” inspired by a viral video of a toddler arguing with his mom about cupcakes, is a sugar-rush of a song that’s as silly as it is sweet. It’s a testament to Halloran’s ability to find inspiration in the most unlikely of places and turn it into something that’s both relatable and utterly unique.

As the album comes to a close with the Elvis Costello-esque “The MacGuffin,” it’s clear that “Overnumerousness” is more than just a collection of catchy tunes – it’s a statement of intent from an artist who’s not afraid to take risks, to play around with genre and style, and to let his freak flag fly. In a world that often feels increasingly homogenized and predictable, Halloran’s willingness to embrace his own weirdness is a breath of fresh air.

So if you’re looking for an album that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you want to dance around your bedroom like a giddy teenager, look no further than Brian Halloran’s “Overnumerousness.” It’s a pop-fueled romp through the absurdities of modern life, a musical middle finger to the status quo, and a reminder that sometimes the best way to make sense of the world is to embrace the nonsense. Don’t sleep on this one, folks – your ears (and your cupcake-obsessed inner child) will thank you.