At this point, 2020 is looking like the year for punk. For the last few years, I haven’t found many punk records that have blown me away. Most of it comes down to a lack of exposure and those I did stumble upon were met with immense critical acclaim. Last year though, I stumbled upon this group, HMLTD. Their single “LOADED” was an incredibly catchy and glam filled punk jam. The explosive bassline and the crunchy guitars that hit some very unique tones on the solos and hops around the bass both made for an epic track. I could see rock radio picking up the track, and many more on their new record West of Eden, if they could stop circle jerking over the same whitewashed artists every period. Seriously, the catchy hooks and badass riffs are just begging for more attention, but I digress.

So now we finally have their full debut record, West of Eden, and it’s anything but standard. Like their singles, they push the mold of post-punk into new realms that make a more exciting and dynamic experience. The frontend features tracks utilizing guitars that sound pulled out of a western movie. Take “The Ballad of Calamity James” which has a nice rolling groove like riding through a desert. Steel guitars add a nice swell to the track and others like the driving guitar lick across “To the Door”. “Satan, Luella & I” marks a change in tone beginning with an arid collection of compelling instrumentals and Henry Spychalski making the best of his rich lower vocal range before breaking into the funky yet soulful backend. Ghoulish vocals flutter in the back as well with a sensual saxophone elevating the soulful nature of the track.

Diversity is key to this album. So many eclectic ideas are implemented excellently. Take “To the Door” which veers into some amazing trip-hop with a pulsing transition that is smooth as butter. Plucking guitars within the production retain the overall tone making it fit exceptionally. Ending the track is an industrial take on the sound which is epic. “Mikey’s Song” is also incredible with glitzy pianos adding a beautiful glam layer to the track. “Why?” is on the weirder side of things with its squeaky vocals that sing in Japanese, but once again the plucking guitars along with some luscious string arrangements lift the track to greatness. Then we get Enya-like vocals on “149” along with dreamier elements. “Nobody Stays in Love” feels like a pop song pulled straight out of the 80’s with some additional elements like the prominent bass that keeps HMLTD’s identity. Variety is the spice of life, and to hear punk fused and transformed into almost opposite styles so cohesively is anything but spectacular.

Like “To the Door”, the overall sound of the songs sound like easy choices to push to the mainstream. That being said, we have to discuss the lyrics. They are probably the number one element that holds the tracks back from being hits, but that is in no way a bad thing. Near the frontend, the instrumentals are used to make them easier to digest. Further in, the instrumentals fit more with the sound. Both are exceptional. So what are the lyrics on? Being punk, they’re a challenge against society – more specifically the western world. All tracks discuss topics revolving around the downfall of the west. Some are more abstract and use metaphors. “LOADED” is a fantastic example of which using the metaphor of selling your soul to the devil to depict people trying to gain an upper hand in life by eliminating morals and ethics. “Death Drive” is another example in its descriptions of how Americans all follow the same dream which leads to the same results – failure.

“Joanna” and “Where’s Joanna?” are sister tracks that work in tandem to tell a story that I interpret as bullies in school beating up a man with more feminine traits, possibly transgender. I could be completely wrong but I love these two tracks for this possible interpretation. One of the more emotional songs on this album, “Nobody Stays in Love”, is a cathartic song about relationships ending often and love is short-term. We also get “Blank Slate” which is easily the strongest song in terms of social commentary. How it tells listeners that the world is ours and we control history is epic and uplifting. I really wish this was the closer to the album because this would be a satisfying end with a pseudo-positive sentiment wrapping up the variety of ideas covers. Instead West of Eden ends with “War Is Looming”; a melancholic country ballad with a solid amount of twang that isn’t overdone. It is a good closer in its own right, but I believe there is missed potential to end it on an uplifting note to digest the rest of the record rather than more sadness.

For only being just under 50 minutes, there is an outrageous amount of revitalized post-punk moments that are straight up outstanding on HMLTD’s West of Eden. Catchy, beautiful, gritty, sensual, glamorous, compelling; all fantastic traits that shouldn’t belong together but are executed with skillful cohesion. So many interesting ideas, and from a debut?! Sure they pulled some singles from previous years, but it’s still crazy to think a new group to the scene could stick the landing first try. This is a testament to their skills as artists. If this is the start of another group to impatiently wait for another fantastic release, I welcome it and others will too.

Favorite Tracks: “The West is Dead”; “LOADED”; “The Ballad of Calamity James”; “To the Door”; “Satan, Luella & I”; “Mikey’s Song”; “Why?”; “149”; “Joanna”; “Where’s Joanna?”; “Death Drive”; “Nobody Stays in Love”; “Blank Slate”

Rating: 9/10

Released: 02/07/2020

Label: Lucky Number Music

Genres: Post-punk, Art Punk, Glam Punk

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RATING SCALE

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