Henry and his Hammerheads have been on a roll this past year. They’ve released their ‘2018 list topping’ self titled LP and are leaving for tour later this month. And they won’t be going on tour empty-handed.

Going against the grain, most bands start by releasing demos, singles, or EPs then moving to longer formats. That is not the case for this NY band. Their first two releases, Go Home! and Stay Home!! are basics in any disrespectful lowlife collection at this point. These albums have been in the background of drunken nights for years.

As they embark through the middle of America in late January, they’ll be taking with them a brand new 2-song cassingle. Cassingles have been on the rise amongst lower level bands, namely the DLIMC cassingles that were released sporadically by Indiana staple, Mark Winter.

I have been listening to the cassingle nonstop since its release a couple of days ago. It’s mellow and angsty and different, yet the same, as their previous work.

It’s got the same “fuck you” attitude that runs through all their songs, at points literally having Wood croon, “Fuck you, you could have it all.” But it’s not business as usual for The Hammerheads by any stretch. In the aforementioned 1st track, “You Could Have It,” there’s an unusual air of positivity not normally seen in a band that’s known for dishing out the pure taste of urban living amongst the rubble and the grit. It’s bright and telling you, in their fuck you attitude kind of way, that “everybody’s gonna be friends forever.” It’s a positive-as-fuck song in the most brusque way. Fuck you, you can be happy if you wanna be.

The 2nd track, I’d Rather Be With Me, has more sap. More sadness. More “shut the fuck up,” and less “fuck you.” It’s the anthem for all the loners. It’s the song you listen to while you walk down a rainy street by yourself. The song takes some weight off Wood, allowing the instrumentals to emote some of the crooniness we’ve grown to love from The Hammerheads. This song strips the band of their hard outer layer, only to show their hard inner skin.

Basically, it’s fucking great and you should buy it when you see them on tour, so check out the dates below to find out where they’ll be near you.

Tour Dates:

Jan 16 Philly

Jan 17 Pittsburgh

Jan 18 Cleveland

Jan 19 Chicago

Jan 20 Kansas City

Jan 21 St. Louis

Jan 22 Nashville

Jan 23 Atlanta

Jan 24 Birmingham

Jan 25 New Orleans

Jan 26 Houston

Jan 27 Austin

Jan 28 Dallas

Feb 1 Brooklyn