HMLTD- West of Eden

 I know this album has been out for a few months but sadly it didn’t get the attention it deserved. Same as
with EOBs latest album I’m a little bit biased here because of my love of new wave and Soft Cell in particular. HMLTD are very clearly influenced by Soft Cell but their songs never sound derivative. Album is incredibly diverse: To The Door sounds like it was taken from a soundtrack for a western, Joanna/Where’s Joanna seem like something from a intense musical dealing with struggles to suppress your gender identity and Mikey’s Song is the kind of 80s synth-heavy throwback that would fit very nicely on the latest MGMT record. 149 is the only track that I can’t remember anything about after not hearing this album for a couple of weeks. War is Looming is a relatively uneventful closer for such an insane record but in a way I appreciate the band slowing down after all the the fireworks that proceeded it. I was sold on this record since the opening West is Dead. It gave me some LCD Soundsystem vibes, which is always a good sign. I love the shouty vocals that I guess might be an acquired taste, especially when they get more theatrical but in my opinion it just works every time. Again, I really wish this record got better reviews and more attention. I get that it’s weird, all over the place and doesn’t play with a lot of 80s clichés that we other acts getting traction by throwing back to that era do but still… The refrains are catchy as hell, Henry Spychalski is an incredibly charismatic vocalist and the glammy esthetic the HMLTD have is really eye grabbing. I can only hope their sophomore record will get more reception and people will go back to West of Eden and see what they have missed.

Rating: 9/10