After breaking through with their sophomore LP Cartwheel, New York’s Hotline TNT return with Raspberry Moon. Hotline TNT has become part of the shoegaze renaissance that has swept indie rock over the past few years. While Raspberry Moon doubles down on that particular sense of nostalgia, the record transitions to a brighter palette of colors, incorporating new themes about love and reconnection. It’s a mature step for a band still finding their footing while the surrounding landscape shifts.
Internally, Hotline TNT have evolved from Will Anderson’s independent project to a full-fledged group. The touring musicians, made up of guitarist Lucky Hunter, bassist Haylen Trammel, and drummer Mike Ralston, were on the brink of falling apart when Hunter fractured his kneecap onstage. He stayed on the road and played the remaining shows sitting down.
When it was time to record another LP, the entire band showed up to take part in the process. Even if Anderson always intended to continue solo, his mates brought with them a determination that suggested he was mistaken. He even asked producer Amos Pitsch to contribute wherever he thought additional instrumentation was needed.
That new dynamic paid dividends in terms of the songs they were able to create this time around. During a challenging time in the studio, when Anderson and Hunter couldn’t get their guitar parts right, Anderson removed himself to write “The Scene”, while the rest of the group worked on a groovy instrumental that became “Break Right”. Even though Anderson was reluctant at first, “Break Right” emerged as a clear standout, channeling the best elements of Silversun Pickups and Metric.
On Raspberry Moon, Hotline TNT prove that reinterpreting shoegaze through infectious hooks and sunny melodies no longer needs to be a guilty pleasure. Certain pioneers didn’t shy away from pop, especially British bands that found crossover success in bridging the gap with dream pop. Yet, few would go so far as they do on “Julia’s War”, which features a “Na na na nah” chorus. Hotline TNT have always written concise songs, but the tracks here have a decidedly crisp sound, which, in turn, makes them accessible.
The record still features plenty of swirling and adventurous elements. “Was I Wrong” begins with stepped-down tuning that sounds like it was plucked from early Elephant 6 collective recordings. The widescreen psychedelic synth interlude “Transition Lens” could be broadcast from another planet. Yet it’s the direct rockers that resonate most. “The Scene” brings straightforward rock and an urgency heard from like-minded distortion virtuosos DIIV. “If Time Flies” could slot into any Ride record, as could “Candle”, with its precious refrain: “I wanna try / Get butterflies.”
In following a long line of shoegaze records, Anderson’s lyrics can be abstract, but he finds himself in love and wants to share that feeling with the world. The glimmering “Dance the Night Away” matches his lovestruck state, adorned with exaggerated drum hits, a measured guitar solo, and lyrics like “I wanna say / A hundred times a day / I love your face.” Raspberry Moon’s overall tone is pleasant, if not sugary sweet, whichworks to perfectionon “Julia’s War”.
Hotline TNT aren’t breaking new ground here, but they achieve a new level of sophistication and sprinkle in enough hooks to garner broader appeal. Where Cartwheel eased listeners into their soundscapes, Raspberry Moon hits with direct force and rewards listeners early and often. In previous efforts, many had been surprised that an auteur created such a fully realized sound, similar to that of an act like Tame Impala. However, Anderson’s willingness to make this a full band effort gives the record a particular vibrancy that cannot be replicated, much to our mutual benefit.
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