When the temperature reaches 70 degrees, certain things become non-negotiable for me: every outfit needs to include a pair of shorts, my car windows will be rolled down, and every playlist should contain at least one GROUPLOVE song to set the mood. Thankfully, with the surprise release of their new double single “Hello, All!” off of their upcoming album I Want It All Right Now, the band has provided me two new options to choose from.
Since the release of their appropriately titled debut album Never Trust a Happy Song, GROUPLOVE has become known for creating music that sounds like happiness feels, even with songs that contain heavy themes. The first single of the pair, “Hello,” a deceptively upbeat sounding number grappling with themes like loneliness and attempting to figure out your identity, is certainly no exception. The song still somehow remains bubbly and energetic even with lyrics like “When will you ever find yourself? / Inside, you feel like someone else” and “Yeah, you’re constantly numb ‘cause nobody sees you through / So you run, and it’s not enough for you,” a true testament to the bands signature sound. Honestly, if you listened to the music without paying attention to the lyrics you may not even realize the subject matter is depressing.
Second on the double single (but not in my heart) is “All,” a song about leaning into your struggles and leaning on those in your life. By swapping out loud instruments for loud vocals and delivering the outro consisting of lines such as “I want it all right now / I wanna take a long ride / With you by my side / I wanna be alright now” via passionate shouting, the point of the song gets across very effectively and proves that GROUPLOVE is not a one trick pony. This is certainly the more somber number of the two and the band successfully capitalizes on that.
These songs are reminiscent of the bands earlier music and remind me of exactly why they dominated the Indie Pop scene for the greater part of the 2010’s and if the quality of these songs is any indication of the rest of the upcoming album, there is a good chance they will rise to the top again. To help pass the time counting down the days until I Want It All Right Now comes out July 7, check out the video for “Hello, All!” down below.
Haley Gilbert is a student writer from Lawrenceville, Georgia. She currently attends the University of Georgia and is part of the Marketing and Music Business programs. After attending countless concerts throughout her life, Haley realized the only thing she enjoys more than listening to music is talking about listening to music, and she is excited to do just that with Vinyl Mag. While she gravitates towards folk and rock music, she is looking forward to expanding her tastes, immersing herself in the vibrant Athens music scene, and sharing her findings with all of you.