Hellogoodbye

I’ll admit it, I used to not be so into this band. I’m just of the mind that whenever you mix modern emo and synth-pop, it inevitably sounds like children’s music – for children tripping balls off the prescription drugs they’ve hijacked from their parents’ medicine cabinets. And maybe a part of me held them slightly responsible for the modern spawning of even worse second-generation emo-synth-pop bands, those of the Owl City and the Ready Set variety. But somewhere along the way, in the very recent past, these dudes got really legit. Going a slightly more indie-pop route for their new album, which I must admit is actually pretty killer, by the way, the fivesome actually sound like grown-ups now. Backhanded as all that may sound, it’s a respectable feat that the band can maintain the fun and youthful quality of their early work without it feeling like a guilty pleasure. If anything, the more mature sound they’ve taken, which pulls in everything from garage rock to occasional Motown-esque vibes, really lets frontman Forrest Kline’s smart and witty lyricism shine. Along for the ride is Gold Motel, the new project from former Hush Sound frontwoman Greta Morgan. Anyone familiar with Morgan’s Hush Sound work knows that she breaks the prototypical mold of the modern rock songstress, instead opting to bring a little more old-fashioned class and culture to the stage. With her signature balance of deep and sultry vocal tones with an effortlessly sparkling and delicate execution, Morgan is one of few vocalists who stand out as an adult in a scene otherwise dominated by kids. And if ever there were someone who could restore the good and honorable name of female-fronted bands in the wake of … recent events, it would indeed be her. - Brien Overly