Album Review: Hey Violet - 'From The Outside'

24 June 2017 | 4:07 pm | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

A worthy transition.

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You may have once known California outfit Hey Violet as Cherri Bomb, back when they were a little more hard rock and a little less synth pop. For those people stuck deep inside of the band's hard rock phases, Hey Violet's new record 'From The Outside' will not be received well. Yet for open-minded music consumers and lovers of pop that answer any and all questions about their favourite genres with "I like a bit of everything", this might just be the band's best release yet.

However, if someone described this new Hey Violet LP as derivative it would be hard to argue with them. The detectable mainstream pop influences on 'Break My Heart' and 'Where Have You Been (All My Night)' are hard to deny. It's true that the core of this album builds on the relationship pop themes of our current musical decade. But just because it wears those influences on its sleeve, doesn't mean that it's not authentic. Because it is. 'From The Outside' documents the honest experiences of many a young person when they realise that most people are assholes in a sincere way, and Hey Violet get more blatant than ever before, especially on the outstanding 'Fuqboi'. (I can think of more than one guy I know that would cringe if he ever heard that track, especially the line about wearing his mama's earrings - you know who you are).

Other memorable moments on 'From The Outsidecome in the form of 'Hoodie' and 'Unholy' as well as 'Like Lovers Do', which sounds suspiciously informed by that Pretty Little Liars theme song. Overall, it's sexy, sad and empowered, which makes listening to it a beneficial journey for anyone who can empathise with the process of falling in love and then falling right out of it. For the older rock dudes and dudettes who saw the potential for Cherri Bomb to go harder on their future releases, this will be a disappointment. But for the people who sit at or around Hey Violet's age, it'll be very easy to empathise with this more-than-likely mirror of their experiences; the kind that they can sing and dance along to.

Pop music is slaying right now and this album is just another one that adds to its peak. Based on their connections and how catchy these songs are, you should expect to see Hey Violet on the rise in pop's future. This new record proves that there's nothing wrong with a change of style, something that a once hardcore band like Hundredth have been trying to tell people for months. The alternative to Hey Violet releasing it would have been not going with their gut and release an insincere hard rock album to merely please the handful of forum crawlers who have the Cherri Bomb logo in their signature. And I know which option I prefer.

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1. Break My Heart

2. Brand New Moves

3. Guys My Age

4. Hoodie

5. My Consequence

6. O.D.D.

7. All We Ever Wanted

8. Fuqboi

9. Unholy

10. Where Have You Been (All My Night)

11. Like Lovers Do

12. This Is Me Breaking Up With You

'From The Outside' is out now.