Hop Along | Photo by Shervin Lainez
All or Nothing: Listen to Hop Along’s explosive “Texas Funeral” from Painted Shut
The one thing that has drawn me to listen to Hop Along for hours, frequently on repeat, is Frances Quinlan’s open and honest lyricism. There’s nothing hidden under fluffy words; it’s just the raw, gritty vocals that channel the everyday internal battles.
Hop Along has been pouring out new tracks off their upcoming album Painted Shut these past few weeks – listen to “Powerful Man” here and “Waitress” here – and their latest, “Texas Funeral,” premiered today through Stereogum. The rhythm section throughout the song is complex, locked in and thrashing out, putting the band’s talent in combining words and sound in the forefront.
Stereogum calls the song “a eulogy of sorts, to a future that seems impossible, and to an ending that is so far in the distance that you may as well not even consider it an option” and as the music crescendos, Quinlan wails “None of this is gonna happen to me within my lifetime” through barreling rock riffs.
Frances and drummer Mark Quinlan sat down for a Q&A with Stereogum and discussed some of these themes and how the ideology of American success, so far, has seemed to play a big role in the songs we’ve heard from Painted Shut. “There’s this all-or-nothing thing with American aspirations,” Frances told Stereogum. “There are so many unreasonable aspirations in a way. And some of them are perfectly reasonable, but people are just smashed to bits.” She also discussed musical inspirations, like Bob Dylan, saying: “I love when people can write a song that’s so visual.”
Close-listening Philly music fans will recognize the voice of Chrissy Tashjian from Thin Lips on “Texas Funeral”; they’ll be opening for Hop Along at Union Transfer (tickets and info at the XPN Concert Calendar) and joining them on the road for a leg of their spring tour. Painted Shut is out via Saddle Creek Records on May 4; listen to “Texas Funeral” below.