Cohesive, Vocal-Driven Indie Rock

For two solid records, Hop Along straddled the borders of punk and indie-pop. But on their latest release, Bark Your Head Off, Dog, the group have embraced more ragged edges as they jump headfirst into heavier material. Full of retro vibes and pulsating guitar vibes, Hop Along’s new album captures the group at its finest: singer/songwriter Frances Quinlan’s lyrics paint images that are as obscure as they are hypnotizing (much like the album’s cover, painted by Quinlan herself); and the band behind her are a powerful and enveloping force that has evolved since the group’s first “freak folk” origins. Bark Your Head Off, Dog is a multi-dimensional collection of stories, jams and Quinlan’s voice taking as many forms as there are tracks on the album. This new record sounds more planned, as if the band took their time building in spaces rather than filling them in.

The album’s first single, “How Simple,” features a catchy chorus line (“Don’t worry. We will both find out, just not together”) and dance floor rhythms—yet the lyrics themselves discuss aging, in classic Quinlan obscurity. At one point in the song, for example, we are transported to her childhood bed, where Quinlan is “covered in each other’s snot” with someone. It seems apparent, especially at this opening stage of the album, that Hop Along still have a fair share left to say. The way they choose to say it that makes their new material so remarkable.

“Afternoon vanilla sun crawls away across the lawn / through the phone I pull you and drag your voice around,” sings Quinlan on “Somewhere a Judge,” and for a moment the lyrics become poetry. On the track, “The Fox In Motion,” the lyrics become more of a storytelling device, full of narrative complexities and loose metaphors. On “One That Suits Me,” sharply shouted words help punctuate an already propulsive track. Either way you look at it, every song on this record features lyrics as a focal point, whether as textured melodies or as the main driving force.

With Bark Your Head Off, Dog, Hop Along has managed to fortify an already sturdy indie rock discography. The group’s new record is a must-play for indie rock enthusiasts and is sure to please Hop Along fans everywhere.