Hooray For Earth press the right buttons on their latest release, Cellphone EP. The Boston band follows up their 2006 self-titled debut LP (and last year’s Onion designation as having ‘One of the Worst Band Names of ‘07’) by growing their sound, mixing more melody and variety into their progression. They also leave a lot of up their sleeve, with two hidden songs at the end.
Cellphone opens with the titular track, a short-but-strong affecting progression. Hooray has a pressing power throughout their EP, but uses it in different ways. “Ellie Mae” delivers a brighter power-pop-punk sound, shining after “Cellphone”. “Warm Out” might get a little too bright, but thankfully, there’s lots of fuzzy distortion. Things go downbeat from there, but there’s still a harmony to the rhythmic drive of “Izod”. “Friend”, meanwhile, mixes choral elements and straight-faced darkness with its heavier focus on synths.
According to the liner notes, Cellphone ends with the echoing vocals and guitar/keys mix of “Videostore”. While that piece’s bright, epic finish would serve well as a conclusion to the EP, Hooray throw not one but two hidden tracks down (making about a quarter of the record officially ‘hidden’). The first is a slow, haunting, keys instrumental. The second is introduced with a recording of (presumably) some band member saying, “This song doesn’t belong here,” yet it’s simpler power progression matches well with “Ellie Mae”, and the explosions match well with anything.
On Cellphone EP, their first release for Dopamine Records (Caspian, Akimbo), Hooray For Earth really exceed their eponymous debut – and with only half the songs. They keep their core progression sound while expanding into new and different places. That kind of growth is reason enough for anyone, anywhere to cheer.