Matt Scottoline (formerly of What Happened? and the amazing Everyone Everywhere) has been releasing music under the Hurry moniker for over a decade now, and I still grin at the juxtaposition of what the band name implies and how the music actually sounds. Hurry plays laid back power pop that has more in common with the ’90s syrupy kind than the late ’70s version that was infused with punk energy. Sure, Scottoline is no stranger to neuroticism and self-deprecation. He’s funny too and his humanity shines through in his lyrics. But sonically, Hurry is closer to surfing moderate waves than sprinting to catch a train. They are neither fashionably late nor nerdy on time, they typically sound punctual and on-point. Their latest LP Don’t Look Back, out today on Lame-O Records, illustrates that better than ever before.
The shortest description I can provide of Don’t Look Back is that it’s Hurry at its most Teenage Fanclubesque. The pop heart and crisp strummy guitars that are central to the record are just as big a nod to the Scottish Hall-Of-Famers as naming the album after one of their beloved classics. Don’t Look Back is bittersweet by design. The result of ending of one relationship and the emergence of a new one, and competing emotions shine through in the words and music. I like to believe that tension is what makes the record tick, but it could also be the sheer number of hits that Scottoline has penned. It starts on a high note with Didn’t Have To Try, a song that starts with the fantastic first line “And we’re back at the beginning” supported by guitar only. At the 25 second mark the band kicks in, but by then I was already hooked. It’s a perfect set up for what comes next. Hurry bring a lot to the table on Don’t Look Back. I’m liking it more with each play, and the 12-minute sequence of Beggin’ For You, Parallel Haunting, and Something More is Hurry at its most consistently great of their career. Buy the sweet looking LP now at Lame-O!