When I first heard Hop Along’s 2005 solo effort, Freshman Year, I fell in love. I suppose you could say I figuratively fell in love because I’ve never actually met the woman behind the voice.. But her voice is enough for me; there is a lot to love and I’m a man of simple desires and basic needs. There’s something extremely infectious about the way she whimsically allowed her bellows to weave in and out of her spazzy folk driven guitar stylings. I would argue that Freshman Year holds down some of the more interesting vocal melodies recorded in quite some time. Get Disowned is their newest gem; I say ‘their’ because unless you’re totally not hip what’s happening these days, you know that Hop Along is a full band. I feel like for the first time as a group that they are sounding super together; not to say that the other stuff wasn’t good, but on Get Disowned they sound really good. It’s the same Hop Along from Freshman Year, but a better Hop Along, a more refined Hop Along. The melodies are sharper, the word play is more playful, but at the same time more introspective, all around the feel is more concise and tighter. It’s music from a girl who is figuring out how to make her elastic melodies work in a way that is super exciting; ultimate survival mode achieved. Seriously though, if you are at all interested in female fronted groups who can tug on your heart strings, while at the same time evoke playful pockets of nostalgia and a weird weather warmth, get this record, buy it, buy it now.. the dude’s from Algernon Cadwallader are putting this thing out, and you like them, so uhhh summer is here, time to ante up and start spinning this harpie. don’t miss the train, idiot.

[try it]

[buy it]

[bandcamp]