| NEW MUSIC | PARTY HARDLY ~ MINDCHANGER |
Remember being sixteen? Sure it was only a couple years ago but you might feel a bit hazy about it, cause of all the sneaky beers up in the woods and those nights where your mates would just “show up” to your absolute unknowing when your parents would kick off. You sure you don’t remember? Your parents do, you were a dick.
Growing up takes time (some of us still are for sure) but when you do look back on it you start to feel a bit sorry for your ol’ ma and pa. Giving out those occasional fivers every other day, no chance in heck of showing up to your mum’s best friend’s daughter’s friend’s 35th knees up on a Saturday night, and the notion of even doing the dishes being a blasphemous idea that will be re-paid with an absolute rollicking about “being on the phone” or some shit. Face it, you were like this, I was like this, we all were (or this is just some existential crisis that i’m having that will in the end show everyone that i’m just a prick).
So for Party Hardly to mark their return with a brand new single about giving your parents a right hard time of it, it’s pretty swell that they’re bringing a commanding noise-pop tune with some subverting smarts. Built on their solid foundation of whirring melodies, pretty eerie rhythms and a fashionably forceful, tongue in cheek identity, their ability to write a hit with validity is evident, and Mindchanger just demonstrates the playful exploration they like to take within heady three minute pop songs.
Tom Barr takes the lead singer mantel in his stride, a twisting humour laced within his dry delivery that is enhanced by the centrality of his voice, thriving for not being drenched and overworked. As Barr extorts the last feelings of snubbing cool from us, the band power through with consistent movement, a lack of repetition noticeable with repeated ventures to their subtle liking for keeping things interesting.
Mindchanger not only gives a bit of thanks to our elders for looking out for us, but heralds the nostalgic kindling of childhood, growing pains and remembering to just look back and remember who you were and how thats led to today.
Party Hardly are joining The Orielles and Treeboy & Arc on October 28th at Brudenell Community Room. Listen to Mindchanger below.