The five young men that comprise the Sacramento Valley-based band Hero’s Last Mission delivered a tight set of five original rocking pop songs at the Media Center Studios, November 6. Brothers and band founders Luis and Lee Hurtado, bassist Quentin “Q” Garcia, drummer Julian Mendoza and Art Padilla on guitar opened with “Everyone Knows,” an uptempo piece sung to the person that everyone knows needs help except that person himself. With Lee’s vocals and Luis’ guitar riffs, HLM expertly builds this song up. Julian establishes the song with solid stick work and is joined by a beautiful solo from Art that pops up throughout the song, tying it all together. The brothers sing a chorus intro in close harmony and then the entire band plays strong cadences with counterpoint from Art and the song is off and running. A great build. The brothers weave amazing harmonies and throw in Luis’ and Art’s very competent guitar riffs for additional voicings. Add to that that each instrumentalist is mic’d for back-up and at any one time we have 10 parts weaving together into a lush sound.
Lee and Luis have the homefield genetic advantage. When the band drops out and the brothers perform a capella duets in songs like “Killin’ Me,” (second on the set list) their harmonies interweave beautifully in the quiet of the studio. And then Luis adds the third voice of his guitar solo to match the tone of the song. Finally the full band comes back in and builds the song back up for a very satisfying conclusion.
Their third song “Gone” is pretty much a signature tune for HLM. It combines all their strongest elements, kickin’ rhythm section, tight harmonies, guitar solos, and a brilliant stroke on the word “Gone”. The last word in the chorus, “Gone” is sung with no instrumentation utilizing their very tight harmonies, so effective and satisfying. The dynamic range of these five is amazing. They can go from hushed to fully amped in seconds. And Lee’s lyrics don’t take a backseat either. They are thoughtful, clever and packed with imagery.
Right on the heels of Gone came “Baby, You Are Something,” another solid vehicle for HLM’s talents. This song won 3rd place in the 2009 West Coast Songwriters Song Competition. The band beat out all the other competitors in the Sac Valley Chapter of WCS to compete in the finals. Hero’s Last Mission is the first band in the 40 year history of WCS to place in the Competition. Sara Bareilles is a recent alumna of WCS, by the way.
The band ended their set with another solid rock tune,” I Don’t Know Why.” It is obvious how much all these guys enjoying playing and playing together. Q practically dances when he plays bass and his smile is infectious.
What I really like about HLM is that every band member is “all-in,” committed and emotionally invested. And they all get to sing! The tight harmonies sung by 5 voices are angelic at times, like a rocking Glee Club. Also, all five of the guys are personable, articulate and content. Our culture for some reason likes to promote the idea that musical artists live tormented and angst-riddled lives. These guys put the lie to any of that stereotyping. And what do they like to do in the spare time? Play golf and go wine tasting.
Maybe they’ll set us up with a wine tasting and golf tour with a concert every night! Sounds like fun. I’m in.
