Hop Along
NAME: Hop Along
GENRE: Freak Folk / Grunge / Alternative Rock
SOUNDS LIKE: P.S.Eliot, Speedy Ortiz, Lemuria
LINKS: Bandcamp
Philadelphia native band (philly rep!) Hop Along is fronted by Francis Quinlan, a force of nature with a distinct voice and sweaty bangs. Their entire discography consists of a couple of albums: Freshman Year, Wretches, the infamous Get Disowned, and the acclaimed Painted Shut. Although the albums are unique in their own ways, they are all connected by the similar sounds of 90’s-style piercing heavy metal guitar, indecipherable lyrics, and Quinlan’s hoarse but extraordinary voice that reaches pitches nearly imperceptible to the human ear.
The origins of Hop Along are similar to any other indie band. In college, Quinlan decided to create it as a solo act called “Hop Along Queen Ansleis”. She played alone for 3 years while refining her sound, before adding band members Mark (her brother), Joe, and Tyler. There is an indescribable vibrancy that the band possesses, one that can even be transported through earphones. In concert, the energy is even more otherworldly. Even while watching videos of their performances, you can see how readily Quinlan and the others throw themselves into the crowd, with the energy crackling and weaving in and out throughout concert-goers.
If spoken frankly, the band is not particularly special until you focus on the words she sings. Quinlan displays her writing prowess by writing honest and angry blurbs of lyrics, capable of resonating deeply in the mind and nestling far down into the heart. Whether they are singing about a failed folk song singer in “Horseshoe Crabs”, a middle aged woman dying alone in her bathtub in “Sally II”, or children who want their parents to divorce in “Diamond Mine”, it is clear what Hop Along is really about. They sing for the underdogs, the failed endeavors, the people who get lost in the cracks, and that is what resounds among their listeners. They’re powerful, they’re instantly recognizable, and they’re best listened to when blasted at full volume.