Hockey

Before I had ever listened to Portland natives Hockey, I couldn’t help but start to draw out how I envisioned them to be mentally. I pictured oversized vintage v-necks, Wayfarers, moccasins and lots of plaid to outfit the usual monotonous and attitude-y type of banal, low-fi and oh-so-ironic garage indie. Again, I had all but instinctively gathered this just from reading their name. I mean, come on, Hockey? While I can say I was reasonably close on one account of my expectations, the other one I was pleasantly surprised in. Though there were indeed the predicted copious amounts of flannels of every color in the band’s photos and videos, the foursome’s music is significantly catchier than I would have previously given them credit for. Like, “blasting it in the car with the windows down despite it being the middle of winter because it’s my new official jam” catchy. At first, I was dumbfounded these boys weren’t from one of Manhattan’s hipster breeding neighborhoods or some such, but then it hit me that the giveaway is how completely unpretentious these guys are. They’re just fun. They sound like they’re having fun on the recording of their new album, Mind Chaos. That’s how you know they’re worthwhile. For some indie rock you can shamelessly dance to without worry of how it looks to those around you, these are your guys. And if you’re not still singing the chorus to “Learn to Lose,” “Song Away” or “Too Fake” a day later after hearing the songs for the first time, you might need to consult a doctor for potential hearing impairment. No joke. - Brien Overly