ALBUM REVIEW: Hotel Bleu – Broadside
Punchy tunes and catchy riffs are what is usually associated with pop-punk as a subgenre and that’s exactly what BROADSIDE deliver on their fourth studio album Hotel Bleu.
Opening track Stranger feels a little more theatrical and a little bigger than their previous work but still has that same DIY punk feel to it. It shows some progression in their sound and how the only way for these guys is up. It’s got a great simplistic structure and hits all the pop-punk beats fans of the genre have come to expect and love. Dazed And Confused however is a little more laid back with less instrumentation throughout the verses and growing into a big track in the choruses. It’s got a great singalong vibe that is easy for the audience to get on board with. Don’t Lose Faith changes things up again as it feels more produced with some great vocal effects that create a hazy dreamlike feel until the guitars come in pulsing throughout. The grittier vocal parts create a really interesting contrast that just hits a sweet spot, and the track turns into a pounding anthem toward the end with all the instruments coming in heavy and the vocals defiant and honest.
The band team up with THE HOME TEAM vocalist Brian Butcher on fourth track Cruel. Again, vocal effects are in abundance which seems to be something the band are going with on this album which is a pretty cool direction to take things. Roaring guitars and massive hooks are the basis of this song, and Butcher’s vocals make a change and add a little more depth. This track has a more dance-like feel to it rather than headbanging punk rock. Next, Josh Roberts of MAGNOLIA PARK lends a hand on Bang which is a bouncy track that feels like it’s about an existential crisis and death but sounds way too happy for the subject which feels a little like satire. Roberts’ vocals create another layer and his part is really awesome.
Lucid is a little more effect heavy which is a departure from the DIY sound that these guys have established but it’s an interesting change which is welcome. Devin Papadol from HONEY REVENGE lends her vocals to this track and it’s really great as the male and female voices really work on this track considering what it’s about. One Last Time sounds a little SLEEPING WITH SIRENS inspired with the fast tempos in the chorus and the more slowed-down parts in the verse. It takes off and crashes down just as fast throughout the track, creating a rollercoaster ride of a song. It’s raw and powerful and is arguably the strongest point of Hotel Bleu and it’s completed with a simple yet effective solo and breakdown that then ends on a blistering outro.
What Have I Done is a modern punk track with short phrasing on the heavy guitar parts and a simplistic yet super effective structure as it’s just a straight-up defiant track. The vocals are awesome on this track as they’re both fast and gritty whilst changing up for the chorus. It’s one of those gems that they’ve included toward the end of the album. The last track Bleu was released as a single and is a little departure from the rest of the record. It’s a slow track mostly made up of vocals and gentle guitar. It’s sad and beautiful at the same time about a love lost, and it works as an outro to the album that leaves on a high note as the record is rounded off perfectly here.
Hotel Bleu feels like original BROADSIDE however it also feels a little more mature. These guys are still doing reckless pop-punk but it seems like they’ve approached it with more knowledge of production and mixing and have come out with something that feels a little more grown-up than their previous releases.
Rating: 8/10
Hotel Bleu is set for release on November 10th via SharpTone Records.
Like BROADSIDE on Facebook.