Hop Along
Painted Shut
Saddle Creek (2015)
Sounds like: The love child of Jenny Lewis and Conor Oberst with a folk/thrash/indie backdrop
Score: 8/10
If you weren’t already obsessed with Hop Along’s previous album Get Disowned, then get ready to fall in love with a cleaner and more sophisticated sound as heard in their newly-released Painted Shut. If Get Disowned was their experimental debut album, then Painted Shut is their ode to guilt, resignation, and somehow simultaneously – self-discovery.
Hop Along marries the crippling soft sound of Frances Quinlan’s vocals and vulnerable lyrics to a dream-like state sprinkled here and there with triumphant cymbals, clever guitar riffs, and punchy bass lines. What I love about this band is how well they construct musical masterpieces and how every element is complementary to one another. The prose behind Frances’ lyrics could hold up as pieces of poetry by themselves whereas the music is less of an accompaniment and more so a necessary limb of support.
Frances has a sweetly undulating vocal melody in her opening song “The Knock” in which she turns a particular morning into a moment of self-reflection: “Did you see the look on the face of the kid he brought with him? / I never once seen a teenager look so radiant / You said ‘Why did you get so sentimental over them?’ / I wasn’t, it’s just it’s been a long time since / I was moved to crying.” Unafraid to confront the insecurities which could cripple one’s autonomy, Frances sings of honest moments utilizing a loud, sometimes coarse, but always mesmerizing melody.
Hop Along drummer, Mark Quinlan, employs quick rolls on his snare as well as purposeful clashing cymbals to emphasize particular beats in his sister’s vocals and to create the rhythmic foundation for guitar and bass. I love the sick bass lines Tyler Long composes which, submerged under the guitar sounds of Frances and Joe Reinhart, bubble to the surface with a deep, jazzy tone.
The band released Painted Shut through their new label Saddle Creek which perfectly and appropriately places them in the same league as Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, and Two Gallants. I said earlier this album is cleaner and more sophisticated than their previous one – only because every single song is masterfully crafted so that the music complements and enhances the poetic language.
If you’re in the LA area this Saturday or if you are down for a quick road trip, Hop Along will be performing at Echo Park and tickets are $12.50. Don’t miss out on what is sure to be an incredible performance but also don’t let yourself live another day without listening to this album. You’ll burst with nostalgia and possibly the relief that you’re not the only one feeling so isolated and unsure.
-Michelle Cardin
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