Listen. There is so much going on in the world around us that sometimes you need a release. Whether that be going out for a drink, playing video games, or watching movies. For me, and many others, I love to throw on some music and just escape for a few minutes to hours. Sometimes the music choice coincides with a feeling of seriousness and anger, sometimes it is a party vibe, and other times I need an album that is full of rage, sarcasm, and brutal honesty. Thankfully for me, I found just that artist: Ray Hawthorne. Hawthorne is here with his new album, Ray Hawthorne Sucks, and it is giving me everything I wanted and more.
This album is the follow up to the debut EP, Heartbreak Feels Good in a Place Like This, and the album is full of bangers from start-to-finish. The album deals with concepts and themes of frustration, chaos, and self-doubt, and effortlessly blends components of post-punk and emo, and finishes it off with just a sprinkle of hardcore. One of the biggest things I like the most about the album is how listeners can tell that Hawthorne has a passion for music and creating something that will leave an impression, and he seems to have fun with the therapeutic process. Just check out this snippet from his artist biography:
Ray Hawthorne is basically an emo Muppet. His life revolves around pop culture references, Ninja Turtles action figures, and his dog named Oliver. Oliver laid on Ray’s feet during the recording of every song on his forthcoming album “Ray Hawthorne Sucks.” This was mostly a positive experience, but there is a particular section during the song “Panic Mode” where Ray had to yell “HEY HEY HEY HEY” over and over again. This made Oliver very tense, and he thought he was being scolded. Ray felt really bad for confusing Oliver in such a way. After the recording was done treats were had by all, and all was well.
Photos Courtesy of Cosa Nostra PR | Photo Credit: Hanna Middleton
Like I said, the album is full of amazing tracks, but if there had to be a “top three” for tracks from the album, I would have to give it to “All My Happy Friends Tell Me I’m Depressed”, “STFU”, and “Haunted ft. Kellin Quinn”. Each of these tracks reveal a different personality of Hawthorne and allow listeners to experience a wide range of emotions. That is all I am going to give you, so you better get ready to listen to the album as soon as it comes out on November 7th!
