Nominative determinism is overrated. It's been three years since Hurry released their last album, Don't Look Back, which means now the timing is just about right for a new one from the Philly power-pop band. That record, Zoned Out, will arrive in July via longtime label home Lame-O. Ian Farmer of Modern Baseball and Slaughter Beach, Dog engineered the sessions, and Teenage Fanclub's Gerard Love guests on "Moving After You."
Hurry's Matt Scottoline on the new album's premise:
I tend to disassociate. I zone out and sort of crawl into my own head. Zoned Out comes from a place of me staring down roads, specifically around my partner and I deciding to have a child and how fucking scary that is. It was me searching for reassurance that I would never find and trying my best to avoid a tendency to unplug instead of facing heavy life stuff.
Our first taste of the album is the title track, which lands right in Hurry's jangly, dreamy sweet spot. The lead guitar action is especially tasty on this one, and the vocals remind us of this band's skill at layering up yearning melodies into plaintive harmonies. Here's Scottoline again:
"Zoned Out" is a song I wrote about transition and the way I relate to it. When it comes to bigger life decisions I have a history of falling into a pattern of disassociation. When I wrote this song I was in a place where I needed to face some fears around taking next steps in a relationship and committing to a path in life that felt heavy and existential at the time. Should I start my own family? Will it fundamentally change everything about my life and who I am? Will I still be able to create and be an artist? It’s about facing all of those big questions and anxieties. Trying to not totally zone out.
Per a note from Bandcamp, Zoned Out will not be immediately released to streaming services. If you want to hear it on release day, you have to buy it. First-run vinyl will be limited to 100 copies. Watch Jason Rose's video for "Zoned Out" below.
TRACKLIST:
01 "All Sunk In"
02 "Zoned Out"
03 "Moving After You" (Feat. Gerard Love)
04 "The Dumbest Person You've Ever Seen"
05 "Just Fine"
06 "Untitled"
07 "Complications"
08 "Oh Yeah"
09 "Laughing In Reverse"
10 "Somewhere (kind of) Old"
Zoned Out is out 7/10 on Lame-O. Pre-order it here.
