Review #12 : Halogens

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Review #12

Artist: Halogens
Album: Happy Hour EP
Like a millennial sledgehammer to the face, Hologens’ opening track, “Pretty Enough” from their new Happy Hour EP, slings all too relatable lyrics at our misunderstood and all too stressed out generation. There is something about the line, “I’ve been slacking, off too much and drinking, you’ve been making sure I promise to eat” that just triggered the thought, “yup, been there” inside my head. I hate it when this happens because I’m never sure if that’s a good or bad thing. **sigh**

    While fitting in to the current “in-style” version of pop punk, once you look past The Front Bottoms and Sorority Noise flavored surface, you may find that this four piece has a taste for the more complex parts of bands like The Wonder Years, Have Mercy, and Tiny Moving Parts. The lyric paintings and subtle complex guitar parts nudge the listener to see these musicians as a little bit more than just another average pop-punk band.   
This can also been proven through the fact the EP was written in such a way that each song represents different parts the human experience. I’d rather not say which song represents what but each track shares this character’s time spent with grief, mental illness, body insecurity, heartbreak, closure, and acceptance. Outside of the lyrics, you can also hear changes in the tone and tempo that help relay these serious and very real scenarios.
Out of the six tracks that Halogens has shared with us, I’d have to say my personal favorite is “O’Gorman”. I mean, it starts with cowbell. COWBELL!!! Not to mention, it has that bright and sing-along vibe offered by artists such as Mooseblood, New Found Glory, and Paramore. You just wanna join in, you know?
As a pop-punk fan myself, I see a lot to be appreciated in this release. Great writing, storytelling, and very effective musicianship. That said, the Happy Hour EP is for fans of the aforementioned genre, while it won’t be reintroducing this brand of music to the long lost emo kids of 2008, who now find their mixes fronted by “thank you, next” and Calvin Harris, it will find its place in the warm, tear salted arms of the great skater punk in the sky.
    You can follow Halogens on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, and Soundcloud.
Ryan Hanratty
Frosted Green Productions


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