Having signed with Epitaph on the strength of viral singles such as "Cry for Me" and "Vowels (And the Importance of Being Me)," California synth rock outfit
HUNNY make their full-length debut with
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Staying true to the sound established on the aforementioned songs, a style inspired by the more radio-friendly side of
the Cure, the album is loaded with whirling, dance-inducing tunes that are nearly as lovesick and self-loathing as they are sweet and infectious. Writing the songs mostly on acoustic guitar in an effort to maintain a certain vulnerability, the band brought in Grammy-winning engineer
Carlos de la Garza (
Paramore,
Cherry Glazerr) to produce and fortify their distinct blend of punky and poppy textures. First track "Lula, I'm Not Mad," introduces those timbres right from its opening hooks as well as singer
Jason Yarger's passionate delivery. While his voice lands closer to
Billie Joe Armstrong than
Robert Smith, it dwells on the spectrum in between. Narrative tendencies mark lyrics that wrestle with flawed relationships; here, Lula is caught kissing another man, but "I wasn't bothered….I lie and recover/My bed is a hospital." Featuring a racing tempo at odds with its title, the main couple hate each other's friends in "A Slow Death in Pacific Standard Time," and on the album's closer, the protagonist spends "Halloween" at home alone after a falling out. That song is still hooky and rousing; the only slow dance in play here is the one-minute "Smarter Ways of Saying It" halfway through the track list. Full of longing, driving rhythms, and choruses that deliver, fans of any one song on
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. will likely enjoy them all, and at just over 20 minutes in length, it'll likely leave them wanting more.