Issue #63 - Courtney BarnettHop Along
Bark Your Head Off, Dog
Saddle Creek
Apr 03, 2018 Issue #63 - Courtney Barnett
Philadelphia’s Hop Along has always been a notoriously difficult band to pin down. Even from Frances Quinlan’s first solo record under the extended name Hop Along, Queen Ansleis, she was vaguely recognized as the short-lived freak-folk movement. However, the full band we know now with the shortened name, has, over the course of two full-length records, existed somewhere between the slippery tags of emo and folk.
Hop Along’s reputation grew beyond the faithful punk community with their 2015 sleeper hit record Painted Shut where the band perfectly balanced the liminal zones between a more digestible indie rock with a harder-edged punk sound that never consumed but always remained present. So Quinlan and co’s third record proper, Bark Your Head Off, Dog, will come as somewhat of a shock to some when hearing those “rougher edges” be rounded off.
Everything about the Philadelphia quartet’s sound on their latest record sounds more accomplished, but also more polished, which takes a little from what made Hop Along such an exciting prospect on previous songs such as “The Knock.”
That jaggedness, however, has been replaced by more focused and considered songwriting, something Quinlan has always shown a clear knack for. Opener and single “How Simple” progresses through various moods and feelings to achieve this, while “The Fox in Motion” once again displays her excellent vocal tenacity. Meanwhile finale “Prior Things” shows the huge progression the band has employed in their self-production. Still, one wonders if something exciting went missing in this cleaner direction. (www.hopalongtheband.com)
Author rating: 7/10
Average reader rating: 7/10
Current Issue
Issue #72
Apr 19, 2024 Issue #72 - The ‘90s Issue with The Cardigans and Thurston Moore
Most Recent
- Maggie Rogers @ House Of Blues, Chicago, US, April 19, 2024 (Review) —
- 10 Best Songs of the Week: Nilüfer Yanya, Linn Koch-Emmery, Fat Dog, Crumb, St. Vincent, and More (News) —
- Fat Dog Announce New Album and Tour, Share Video for New Song “Running” (News) —
- The Obsessed, Howling Giant @ Brooklyn Meadows, NYC, April 12, 2024 (Review) —
- Premiere: Slow Joy Releases New Single and Video for “King Cowboy” (News) —
Comments
Submit your comment
June 25th 2019
10:15am
very interesting post.this is my first time visit here.i found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion..thanks for the post!
may bom chim nuoc thai