Hawthorne Heights - Bad Frequencies (2018)

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Punk Rock
Style: Pop Punk
Label Number: PNE216
.FLAC via Florenfile
.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile

© 2018 Pure Noise Records
Bad Frequencies Review by James Christopher Monger
The Dayton, Ohio-based emo/post-hardcore/punk revival unit's sixth studio long player and first outing for Pure Noise Records, Bad Frequencies forgoes the narrative-driven conceptual route that served as the foundation for 2013's Zero. However, anger, heartbreak, and regret still reign supreme, and that misery trifecta remains the linchpin that holds Hawthorne Heights together -- big hooks and radio-friendly choruses delivered with plenty of pop-punk snap and a little bit of classic rock posturing are pretty baked in as well. In fact, not too much has changed, either sonically or lyrically, since the band's heyday in the mid-2000s. The myriad pains, while still prevalent, have been diluted a bit by nostalgia, with songs like "Pink Hearts," "Starlighter (Echo, Utah)," and "Just Another Ghost" coming off as more wistful than apoplectic. Still, Bad Frequencies is unabashedly old-school emo, with JT Woodruff's clean, nasally croon and Mark McMillon's guttural bellow politely waiting for their turns amidst the sugary maelstrom. Longtime fans should feel satiated, as it's a perfectly acceptable and meticulously executed example of the genre, but there isn't a single left turn to be found, just an endless cul de sac of well-tread angst.

tags: hawthorne heights, bad frequencies, 2018, flac,