Since both members of the duo were under the age of 20 when they released their debut album in 2016, no one was expecting a lot of maturity from Hockey Dad when they first burst onto the Australian music scene, and part of the charm of Boronia and its 2018 follow-up, Blend Inn, was the freshness and reckless, youthful passion of the songs and performances. Guitarist and lead vocalist Zach Stephenson and drummer and harmony singer Billy Fleming were a tight and imaginative band whose bright, hooky tunes still had the spark of teenage mania (or they could still easily recall it) that bumped up the fun quotient of their songs. On album number three, 2020's Brain Candy, Hockey Dad, now firmly in their mid-twenties and capable of buying their own beer, are still crafting top-quality pop, boasting abundant hooks and excellent harmonies, but the crash-and-bash playfulness of Boronia has given way to a more measured and precise approach on Brain Candy. Stephenson and Fleming have gained a bit in the way of chops over the space of four years, and they certainly know their way around the studio better; the guitar, bass, and keyboard overdubs give the album a fuller and more satisfying sound without squeezing the spontaneity out of the tracks, and the melodies possess a bit more complexity, adding additional layers that make the results sound a touch more grown up than before. The title "Looking Forward to the Change" speaks for itself, and the moody midtempo "Itch," the soulful "Reno," and the twangy lament of "Keg" sound significantly less teenage than what the band created on their debut. Of course, Hockey Dad's new maturity is akin to that of a college sophomore: they know just enough to not mix their liquors and to drink the occasional glass of water, but they still want to go out and make the most of the party. Brain Candy is still rock indie pop first, with a garage rock sidecar. Most of this is an up-tempo blast, and Stephenson's vocals are excellent while the guitar work and drumming is expert and fully engaged. Brain Candy isn't kid's stuff, but rather the word of two guys determined to make adulthood work for them without spoiling everything, and Hockey Dad hit that target with flying colors.
© Mark Deming /TiVo