This album starts off with “How Simple”, and right off the bat, I am just enamored with Hop Along’s sound. I love how they're bringing in some more Folk elements here and there, and all around this is so much more of an accessible sound. Frances Quinlan sounds as good as you would expect but is combatting some of her soaring vocals with some more soothing and catchy one as well. “How Simple” is also surprisingly bouncy, and a catchy start to the album. Not to mention, for me at least, I can’t remember the last time I was able to pick out so many memorable and sweet lyrics out of a Hop Along track. This is one hell of a start, and man does it ever stick with you. Now, “Somewhere a Judge” is the sort of jagged, slightly left-field approach to Indie Rock that got Hop Along noticed, to begin with. Personally, this just isn’t the sound I like to hear from them as much. But with cleaner production, and Frances’s continues charming vocals, this is still pleasant. I just feel like some of the instrumentals on the verses take away from Frances’s performance a little bit, but that’s just me. Still, this is easily some of the most accessible and sweet material Hop Along have offered up yet. On the other hand, “How You Got Your Limp” is a serious curveball. Hop Along here bring in some very classy strings and a much more fluffy atmosphere. The result might just be the most Pop-Oriented track the band has ever come out with. And let me tell you, it is GOOD. Frances’s vocals are just so cutting, and I love the storytelling style of this tune as well. And while it’s short, that quaint thistly portion is an incredibly nice touch. “How You Got Your Limp” may be the most refined Hop Along track of them all, but it works so well with their sound.
“Not Abel” up next continues to show Hop Along going down a more stripped down route, bringing in some really nice slide guitar and some subtle strings. But I continue to just absolutely love this much more delicate sound to Hop Along. I feel like while their sounds may be a little bit more light on the ears, their attention to detail is impeccable. Not to mention, when “Not Abel” does pick up a little, it’s that much more striking. And like I’ve been saying, among these atmospheres, I feel like Frances continues to shine and give us some of her most emotional performances yet. The drama in this album also is a seriously nice touch, with tracks more often than not coming off really intense. Not to mention, eventually “Not Abel” makes its way into a much more straightforward Hop Along tune. “The Fox in Motion” on the other hand is much more up front and not nearly as delicate sounding as the last few tunes. Frances is just such a dynamic front-woman, I continue to be blown away by how in control she sounds. This track is solid, and while I have heard better tunes here, Hop Along is still just so likable. Not to mention, after a few slow tunes the much more upbeat and punchy “The Fox In Motion” is totally welcome. There’s even a little Dance Punk vibe thrown in here creating a little funk, Hop Along really are branching out here. Now, “One That Suits Me”, is the lightest track we’ve gotten here yet. But in this case, I really think this takes a little too much away from Hop Along’s performance. Sure, it does pick up plenty, eventually turning into a pretty standard Indie Tune. But I just feel like a little too much of this track is just too light. I even love the sunny atmosphere and the keyboards in the background. “One That Suits Me” has loads of potential, but there’s too much here that bugs me, even if that chorus is still so memorable.
“What the Writer Meant” up next, comes off like an earlier Hop Along track, with an instrumental that’s a whole lot harder to place. But this is easily the most exciting track we’ve heard in a while here. I love the upbeat verses and the soaring choruses that I swear just get bigger as this album rolls on. We still get some strings here, even though they’re very subtle it’s a nice touch. And while “What the Writer Meant” is still upbeat and much more angular, Hop Along make it easy to process. Then we get “Look of Love”, one of the lightest tracks here by far. But let me just say, what the hell happened to the production? All of s sudden we’re going with a Lo-Fi Folk sound? Eventually, it does clear up a bit, but I just don’t really get that intro. “Look of Love” takes an entire 2-minutes to get rolling. And I have to say, once things get going this is a decent tune. But why did it take so long to get here? Why all of the production tricks? And why does this one seem so unfocused? For each interesting passage on this one, there is a genuinely boring passage. But I have to say, I’m super impressed with the incredibly classy “Prior Things” as a finale. Frances is right back to take center stage with her impressive vocals. But the band around her, as well as all of these powerful strings, really gives this a vast sound. In a lot of ways, “Prior Things” does round off the album exceptionally well, taking elements from all of the tunes they’ve given us here. It’s a fitting finale, one that shows Hop Along still has plenty of ideas.
Rating: 7.7/10
Give A Listen To: “How Simple”, “How You Got Your Limp”, “Not Abel”, “What the Writer Meant”
Genre: Indie Rock
Overall Thoughts: Hop Along up until this point have made a name for themselves with charismatic, emotional Indie Rock with wild performances. But on this new album, Hop Along strip things back a little and come through with their catchiest and most accessible tracks to date. Obviously, most of the focus is still on Frances Quinlan's incredible vocals, as it should be. But between the rest of Hop Along and the inclusion of some strings, this album packs a punch from all angles. Now, I'm still not completely sold on their more complex instrumental oriented tunes. But still, the tunes here rank among some of Hop Along's best to date.
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