Likewise, Frances Quinlan of Hop Along’s first solo album is wrought with parallels between living in a childish world and the harsh reality of evolution as an adult. From the opening track of her debut album, Quinlan uses audio samples of children playing reminiscent of the early 2000s- used by the likes of Belle & Sebastian and MGMT. When Quinlan writes about love- in “Rare Thing”- she seems to find words to describe unspeakable feelings. One verse in particular really resounded with me- she describes her lover’s “face alight(s) in recognition”. The toned-down vocals of the majority of the album are set in contrast later on “Went to LA”, where she begins to scream her chorus in a hoarse voice- that “heaven is a second chance”. In “Carry the Zero” Quinlan returns to the theme of simplicity in growing up- comparing aimlessness with arithmetic and ending in a sound sample of feedback, not unlike the opening track which began with white noise. This poignant and personal album is exactly what someone who feels caught between childhood and adulthood feels- directionless but still somehow hopeful.
-Sierra McGrath
