Hotline tnt
Raspberry Moon - via third Man Records
Reviewed by Andi Bridges
Album released 20th June 25
Having read the Hotline TNT PR blurb before listening to the album I was struck by the phrase, “Will Anderson amplifies everyday heartbreak with towering shoegaze and supersized power-pop anthems that demand to be played loud.”. A quote from Pitchfork magazine. I’ll be honest, the word shoegaze put the fear of God into me. However, any record released on Third Man Records is going to have a mountain of fuzzed up guitar on it, so I needn’t have worried.
Opener, Was I Wrong – comes across all Indie, and for the first minute and a half looks to be heading towards shoegaze. Then the band kick in, and suddenly the song is propelled by a fuzz guitar riff. A melodic solo introduces itself towards the end of the track which bleeds into track two, Transition - a short instrumental of off kilter psych guitar and keyboards.
This becomes, The Scene – which gives off huge Jane’s Addiction vibes, thanks in part to drummer Mike Ralston. The song was written in the studio after a fit of pique by Anderson. Will, as previously, wanted to record the album as he has always done. That is decamping to a studio with just himself and a producer to put his songs together piece by piece. The rest of the band, who had been touring as Hotline TNT for the last 10 months had other ideas and turned up at the studio.
When Anderson and Lucky Hunter couldn’t get their guitars to gel on one of Anderson’s demo tracks, cue aforementioned strop as Anderson took himself off and wrote the track. What is a band to do when your frontman has thrown a wobbly? Written at the same time is Break Right - arranged around a subdued/muted riff with Haylen Trammel’s bass much more to the fore. This song started life as an instrumental jam by the other three members of Hotline TNT whilst left alone in the studio and finished off when Will returned.
Lead single, Julia’s War – has probably the simplest chorus in American Indie rock. “Na Na Na Nah”. When the band stress-tested it during the writing process, the ‘try not to sing along challenge’ came back with a 100% fail rate.” I can confirm it is impossible not to join in with it. If you get a chance, check out the video for it on YouTube. It pokes gentle fun at Military Bootcamps.
Set closer, Where U Been – starts with an almost trip hop drum pattern and then a guitar imitating a siren brings the band in. On the chorus Will sings “Don’t tell me where you been, we’ll find some time to talk about it, Would I do it all again, come to find I just don’t fit in”.
There is a cohesion across the tracks that I guess comes from a band contributing to the songs rather than a lone artist building the songs from scratch and then hired musicians having to learn the parts for touring purposes. Vocal phrasing and harmonies, at times, remind me of a cross between Bare Naked Ladies and They Might Be Giants.
There are traces of The Pixies and even a touch of early Weezer, in some of the music. Hotline TNT are threatening to tour over here in November. Did I follow Pitchfork’s advice and play it loud? Of course I did………..and I hope the neighbours enjoyed it as much as I did.
