ALBUM REVIEW: Lost Frequencies – Hawthorne Heights

It’s fitting that HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS would release a new record within the same fortnight that MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE and CREEPER both announced their return. That’s not to suggest face sweeping fringes are about to permeate the mainstream again (despite the hundreds of memes circulating the internet suggesting it will) but it’s a stark reminder emo rock still had a pulse prior to MCR‘s ground crumbling announcement on Halloween.

This pulse, while admittedly a faint one, was somewhat aided by HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS 2018 record Bad Frequencies – an album that won’t be looked back on as a saviour of a genre, but one that at least proved the four piece had fight in them yet. It’s fair to say then that you can’t help but wonder whether Lost Frequencies was a necessary adventure. A collection of B Sides, re-worked versions of songs on its predecessor, and covers following an album that failed to reignite a bands career sounds like the makings of a musical drop in the ocean, but Lost Frequencies does a good job at gaining its own merit in moments throughout its play through.

Sadly, Lost Frequencies credibility starts to dissipate after it’s opening one-two punch of Hard To Breathe and So Hopelessly. It’s here that the quartet throw their weight behind hook lead choruses and emotive chills that make for a double act capable of holding its own against contemporary alternative rock. It’s what follows that makes Lost Frequencies a rather forgettable encounter.

The trio of When Darkness Comes To Light, The Perfect Way To Fall Apart, and Starlighter are oddly placed following the albums anthemic, energetic opening (the latter two being stripped back re-imaginings of tracks found on Bad Frequencies). It’s a mood swing which hits as notably jarring, especially when you consider that all three tracks lack any real zest. Even for an emo-rock ballad, Starlighter in particular falls worryingly flat both vocally, and instrumentally, and the decision by HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS to slow the track down does them little favours.

Covers of WEEZER‘s classic My Name Is Jonas and CHEAP TRICK‘s Surrender also strike as throw away efforts that while fun, do little to differentiate themselves from their originals outside of tempo. With that said, HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS at no point have tried to push Lost Frequencies as a record that you should be taking overtly seriously: and if you’re pressing play here hoping for the occasional banger and easy listening alt rock comfort – this album quenches that thirst.

Lost Frequencies doesn’t do enough to truly justify its place as a stand alone album, but the likelihood of this being the case in any eventuality was minimal at best regardless. This is a record that does exactly what you’d expect: find its way from A to Z comfortably while throwing you some hooks along the way. At a time when emo rock is at the forefront of the industry’s lips again, HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS have picked the right moment to remind everyone they’re not dead yet.

Rating: 6/10

Lost Frequencies is out now via Pure Noise Records.

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