We got a teaser for this album in 2019 when the Hullabahoos released Youngblood, a swagger-infused single that eventually became track six on All Aboard. Truth be told, Youngblood is still on my playlist for its addictive rhythmic showcase, and I am chuffed to have more Hullabahoos music delivered in the same arranging and recording style.

So what's the style? Top to bottom, I feel like I'm sitting right in the middle of a campus, under the arches of a bell tower, listening to a 7PM a cappella concert with friends. To achieve this specific soundscape, the focus is on more natural percussion (drummer Jeff Dutter sounds terrific) and more careful production. There's lighter enhancement on All Aboard than many contemporary collegiate groups go for: clean up the mistakes, but leave the distinct color of each voice intact. This was surely the group's intentional choice (mixing work by James Gammon Productions/Dave Sperandio on mastering). You'll hear this readily on Before You Go, where both the lead and the backgrounds are word-painting every line with great expression that's not compressed or filtered away, permitting great natural singing and organic energy. For that right-on-campus percussion vibe, check out the beatboxing on Bad Liar. You're at this show, too.

There's a nimbleness present on All Aboard that's easy to love, heard distinctively in the opening Rock With You. Dig into those fast and flashy drum patterns, and the way light-footed soloist Jalon Daniels dances around the notes for the opener. Lonely has a similar agility from the percussion and lead. And I particularly like what I'm hearing in the closer, I Like Me Better. The arrangement opens sparsely, leaning on old school syllables and snaps, yet sounds impossibly beautiful and present. It's got this timeless middle-of-campus ring to it that feels like we're now getting ready for the a cappella afterparty. Simply, I'm enchanted.

If you like a technological performance fueling your a cappella covers, All Aboard won't do it for you. If you want classic campus singing with pleasant leads, solid musicianship, and plenty of charm, get in line for a train ticket.

All Aboard starts with a straightforward, albeit lively, cover of Rock With You. The arrangement by Stephen Ross is different enough while staying true to the Michael Jackson classic. A moment after the two-minute mark, "We're gonna rock forever, ooo," is particularly crunchy and satisfying.

Before You Go feels rushed, lacking the emotional depth of the Lewis Capaldi original. Tasteful studio enhancements by James Gammon and Dave Sperandio are not enough to make up for an ineffective arrangement and stale solo performance on this track.

The juxtaposition between Before You Go and the one that follows, Lonely, is alleviated by Max Feinstein and Kyle Thielsch's relaxed delivery. Chandler Showalter's sleek and bouncy arranging coupled with the relaxed lead by Feinstein and Thielsch keep the energy and interest moving between these slower songs. The track that follows, my favorite of the two Capaldi tracks, Someone You Loved, features some deeply moving solo vocals by Chris Obolensky. A beautiful arrangement interpretation by Jordan Rubenstein expertly captures the heartbreaking nature of the original. The homophonic moment after the one-minute mark, "Like the way you help me escape," is an excellent touch.

Bad Liar seems to toil onward monotonously, never leading us anywhere in particular. There's nothing glaringly wrong with this track, but there's nothing spectacular about it either. Finger snaps aside, I would have liked to hear the group take some more creative liberties with this one. Youngblood showcases the performance and arranging abilities of Jalon Daniels. The Hullabahoos give 5 Seconds Of Summer a run for their money with some rich background harmonies and intricate textures (minus the finger snaps), making this one of the strongest tracks on the entire album.

To see two Lauv tracks (and two Capaldi tracks) will raise eyebrows for many listeners. Why have more than half the tracks on the album be songs from only two artists? In the case of Capaldi, there is a distinct winner. In the case of Lauv, though, things are less clear: they're both so good. One of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists, I Like Me Better checks all the boxes for me personally — even the finger snaps box! The production by Gammon and Sperandio is fittingly sparse in nature and, combined with arranging work by Daniels and solo performance by Graham Walters, makes this far and away my favorite track on All Aboard. The various vocal textures and sycopations fit together like puzzle pieces, providing a perfect backdrop for Walters' relaxed and effortless riffing.

With All Aboard, The Hullabahoos aren't really saying anything new or interesting. In order to go from "good" to "excellent", the group needs to focus on cultivating a greater variety of repertoire choices. While the production is brilliant, a majority of All Aboard consists of popular songs that every group has covered. This train might be about to leave the station, but I think I'll catch the next one for now.

When I'm reviewing albums, I often want to give half-points, especially for groups whose work falls somewhere between a "3" and a "4", between "average" and "good". All Aboard, the latest album by the male-identifying Hullabahoos from the University of Virginia, fits squarely in between these two descriptors.

Let's start with the positives. The group has a solid blend within and across voice parts and tunes well. Soloists generally sound good with Jalon Daniels on Youngblood and the duet of Avery Shivers and Chandler Showalter on Bad Liar standing out from the pack. The clean production work on the album by James Gammon with mastering by Dave Sperandio mostly allows the singers' voices to shine with a few moments of added effects that enhance the tracks.

But all of those positives only add up to a decent album; to be a great one requires creativity. The things that are missing or not quite on the level they could be on prevent this group and this EP from reaching their full potential. As I wrote in my review of the single Youngblood, the arrangements on All Aboard lack "any kind of bold choice". The original songs are covered well, but the Hullabahoos' versions are not distinct from any other a cappella group's attempt. Similarly, the tracks have a narrow dramatic range and often settle into one sound for their entirety, leading to repetitive-sounding tracks rather than dynamic ones.

When there are only seven tracks on your EP, every song choice counts to showcase your group's strengths and breadth. With this in mind, I question why the group chose two songs by Lauv and two by Lewis Capaldi. The two selections from the latter artist sound almost alike. The other three rock tracks — covers of Michael Jackson, Imagine Dragons, and 5 Seconds of Summer — also sound quite similar, though the groove of Rock With You is distinct from the others. Moreover, a majority (four) of the tracks are midtempo songs, which at times plod along and subsequently make the album do the same. Switching out one of those (Lonely, for example) for a second uptempo song (hopefully from a genre other than pop/rock) would help counteract the midtempo overdrive.

In addition to the creative issues, the balance on the recordings tilts slightly too much toward the lower voices. As a bass myself, I love being able to hear their great lines, such as on Rock With You and Bad Liar. But, too often, the upper tenors recede into the sonic background, as (not) heard at the end of Someone You Loved. A slight rebalancing of the upper and lower ends of the group's range would markedly improve the listening experience of All Aboard. 

Because we at RARB do not assign half-points, I ultimately decided that this album does not quite merit a "4". The group's good singing cannot outweigh repetitive arrangements and too-similar-sounding songs. However, the solid musical foundation will hopefully allow the group to stretch its creative muscles in future releases.