Alexander Dausch, the mad scientist behind the San Diego solo Holly Woodlove, is back with “Run Back“. This thing absolutely rips.
Released on February 13, this track isn’t simply a warm-up for the upcoming double album The Most Beautiful Lie (dropping March 4); it’s a declaration of war. From the very first second, “Run Back” explodes out of the speakers with wailing guitars that sound like they were beamed in from a classic 70s rock fantasy. There’s a rich, vintage crunch in the riffs that nods to the greats—think Todd Rundgren if he decided to raw-dog a tube amp in the best way possible.
But just when you think you’ve got the song figured out, Dausch pulls the rug out from under you. His vocals slide in smooth and elastic, riding the wave of distortion with an almost dangerous cool. He shifts gears effortlessly, moving from a dazed, hazy verse into a chorus that hits like a shot of adrenaline. When he hits that urgent refrain—”you can run, beg…”—the track transforms into a full-throttle rocker that demands a mosh pit, even if that pit is just in your living room.
What makes this cut so special isn’t just the sound; it’s the sweat and solder behind it. Dausch isn’t just the singer; he’s the entire operation. He writes it, plays every single note, and records it all at his home setup, Studio Studios. But here’s where the rock cred goes through the roof: he’s mixing this beast through an Ampex 440B tape machine. That means “Run Back” has that warm, gritty, analogue soul that you just can’t fake with a laptop alone. It’s alive, and breathes with a tactile depth that makes the digital world sound sterile by comparison.
“Run Back” is the sound of one man with a vision, turning the volume up to eleven and refusing to compromise. It’s a high-energy, emotionally charged banger that sets the bar sky-high for The Most Beautiful Lie. Thank you, Holly Woodlove.