Hop Along have released the epic album closer ‘Prior Things‘ today, ahead of the April 6 release of their new album Bark Your Head Off, Dog via Barely Dressed Records / Remote Control
This comes after a hugely triumphant SXSW, where the band debuted several new songs to enraptured fans and earned festival highlight accolades from BrooklynVegan, Mercury News, Stereogum – who called singer Frances Quinlan “a national treasure“ – and Rolling Stone who raved, “dexterous rhythms as their anchor gives Hop Along a kinetic kick that might not otherwise be heard in their delicate, nimble songs, and while that’s enough to separate the band from their peers, the group is also fun to watch because there’s a genuine warmth to their banter.”
Following lead single ‘How Simple‘ and dynamic album cut ‘Not Abel,’ ‘Prior Things‘ explores the bitter triumph of a relationship that never comes to be.
Listen to / share ‘Prior Things’: https://hopalong.lnk.
The formidable 9-song collection is the band’s strongest and most cohesive album to date. Crafted byFrances Quinlan (songwriter, lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist), Tyler Long (bass), Joe Reinhart(guitar), and Mark Quinlan (drums), the album considers what it’s like to cast off longheld and misguided perceptions, yet without the assurance of knowing what new ones will replace them. Quinlan has been meditating a lot on power. In this particular moment in history, this thought begs a greater question: what do we do with power and the men who so freely brandish it?
Self-produced and recorded at The Headroom in Philadelphia by Reinhart and Kyle Pulley, Bark Your Head Off, Dog features the familiar sounds that have always made the band allergic to genre: grunge, folk, punk, and power pop all appear, with inspiration from ELO to Elvis Costello to ‘70s girl group vocal arrangements. This time around, they’ve added strings, more intricate rhythms, lush harmonies (featuring Thin Lips’ Chrissy Tashjian), along with a momentary visit with a vocoder. In more than one place, Mark Quinlan drums like he’s at a disco with Built to Spill. Bark Your Head Off, Dog is, without question, Hop Along’s most dynamic and textured record yet.
Bark Your Head Off, Dog will be released next Friday April 6, but is available for Pre-order now all formats.
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