I’m going to keep this short since I don’t think Jeff Rosenstock needs any introduction. He is a treasure within the independent music scene, a hard working one as well. His new record HELLMODE gets significantly more coverage on the web than the average release we write about. That attention is well deserved, because HELLMODE is one great album.
It also feels like the right album at the right time for me personally. A friend passed away unexpectedly last week. I made a playlist of his loved tracks from his Last.fm profile. It’s a beautiful yet painful listen, a reminder of the many emotions and messages music contains and evokes. Among his loved tracks were several Jeff Rosenstock songs – …While You’re Alive (from 2016’s Worry) hit me the hardest of all. I am sure my friend would have loved this LP as well. It provides the level of familiarity, sense of community, cathartic release and pureness I needed this week. That bandaged heart emoji? It kinda sums up listening HELLMODE for me. Thanx Jeff!
HELLMODE is out now at Specialist Subject and Polyvinyl Records.
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