Tag: Merge Records

Rating:

When Hospitality first appeared on the music scene two years ago, I raved about their debut album, which was full of whimsical and fun sounding poppy numbers. Now they’re returning with a sophomore release that feels like a take in a whole new direction. Gone is the odd and strange photograph from the album artwork, and in its place is a darker black and white picture with black stripes over it, which is parallel to the newfound gravity that Amber Papini and company have brought musically to the table with Trouble.

“Nightingale” gives out a dose of heaviness that you would haven’t imagined coming across on their first release; powerful guitar rivals in dominance with the vocals, each pushing at each other in a pure rock style. What you get is this lovely juxtaposition of the lightness of Papini’s vocals with the heaviness of the guitar at instances, and in others you still can see the simple whimsy of the band you fell in love with. From this first track, Hospitality shows that they have been doing some growing, but haven’t lost who they were from the start. The next track, “Going Out,” continues this trend of maturity and gravity, but in a funkier rendition. With its smooth percussion and subtle dance beat, Papini really seems to be in her element here, and I imagine it would be an excellent song to witness in a live setting.

A few tracks in, you may be asking yourself, just where is that quaint little Brooklyn three piece that I remembered liking so much? Well they are still there, and so is the fun, it’s just been redirected in the form of darkness, which I believe works exceedingly well for this group. “Rockets and Jets,” a sultry, synth based number, will have you bobbing your head and perhaps even busting a move with the best of them. My personal favorite track comes a bit later on, with “Last Words,” a sprawling further trip into the synth dance trail, which is infectious and subtle; Papini’s vocals are mixed with some male vocals as well to give a new element of duality you haven’t yet met with this group. They merge this dark track with the aptly titled “Sunship,” that will have you yearning for that lovely feeling of cool spring breezes and warm sunshine.

As I mentioned with their last album, what Hospitality does remarkably well is the variation in song length and style. They seem to have locked down just exactly when to be brief and when to let a track linger on, which provides for a lack of dull moment on Trouble. What’s better than no dull moments is an album filled with standout tracks, which is what you’ll find here. Have a listen.