Usually hate that phrase but yeah. Far and away my favorite of the year. So many good parts of each song
I just haven’t been hit this hard but anything in a long time, maybe the Ok record by O. All my favorite albums last years were slow burning, this is immediately impacting me in a refreshing way and dense enough to have that same slow burn/love something new every play through.
Look of Love is a real Disowned-era track. Very impressionistic, sprawling, melodies if you dig for them
good review though, some real good insight, at least for someone whose only been through the album two times.
Just listened through the full record and as someone who hasn’t listened to them before I’m super impressed! Count me as a new fan.
Yeah I agree. I just meant that a BNM would probably get a ton more people to check it out. I do find that their criticism of How Simple and Somewhere a Judge are a bit off base. They're two of my favorite songs on the album.
This is great, but I need more time with it. It doesn't immediately grab me like Painted Shut did, prob bc there's a lot more going on in these songs that I'm trying to give my attention to.
I really like the lyrics on How You Got Your Limp but probably find it my least favorite in terms of melody/the actual song. Almost like an interlude.
one thing about Hop Along is their albums always grow on me bc it takes me about 5-6 listens just for my ear to pick up on all of the melodic movement in these songs. It's so damn impressive how little Frances seems to repeat herself, its like every melodic phrase is crafted with its own originality. I think that is an aspect in her song writing that always keeps bringing me back in and why it always feels fresh on repeat listens.
One funny coincidence of fate I wanted to share with you all: I just discovered Hop Along today for a first ever listen. After listening to this new album I heard their last album was probably even better so I just added it to my Apple Music. A quick scan of the track listing and I noticed the “Painted Shut” album ender is entitled “Sister Cities” and today marks the release date of the new album by the Wonder Years, also entitled “Sister Cities”. Pretty cool.
Yeah I just assumed TWY are using a dual meaning there, bc Dan referenced other Philly parks on prior songs.
Philly is the capital of rock music in America right now, if you ask me, and has been for a while now.
Somewhere A Judge is one of my favorites, when that chorus hits mmmm Haven't been flattened by a record like this in a while and it feels so gooood