REVIEW: Hellogoodbye – “Would It Kill You?”

Hellogoodbye / Would It Kill You? / Wasted Summer

No, you’re not dreaming. Hellogoodbye are very much alive. The California outfit have resurrected with Would It Kill You?, a four-years late sophomore attempt shedding off the junk powerpop skin for indie campfire soul. The transformation can be blamed on the rise of the hipsters, but after dropping the Drive-Thru Records name tag for a badge more indie, it’s no surprise. The bipolar love themes still reign, but are restrained with refined arrangements packing more punch than sugary hooks laced with even more sugar.

Tracks like “When We First Kissed” and “I Never Can Relax” toy with the group’s neon debut, but take the back seat. The stinging keyboard and guitars high off adrenaline give “You Sleep Alone” a Sonic The Hedgehog pace, wrapping words in a spiteful tone lovers know too well when they’re diagnosed with hate. The rush sets the tone for the record, pushing Forrest Kline to reveal himself as a vocalist (“Would It Kill You”) and forcing the group to shout at the top of their lungs (“Betrayed By Bones”). Would It Kill You? may still be a candy-coated disc but it’s an album that takes a stab in the dark, even if it pierces a damsel with a soft spot for lovesick seventh grade poetry.

Download: “You Sleep Alone”, “Finding Something To Do”

 

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