Hospitality has been a huge grower, jumping to the forefront of my musical go-tos after sitting with it for two months. The band largely plays with upbeat pop songs put off by cynical lyrics resulting in playful songs that command your full attention. I guess it took me a while to give it my full attention, but once I did I fell under their spell. I listen to the album at least once a week and somehow managed to see them live three times in three months, that's just how good it is.
Hospitality - Eighth Avenue
So much of my attraction to the album is the all too familar 20-something uncertainty syndrome that comes through in nearly every song. Tracks like "Friends of Friends" and my favorite "The Right Profession" admit to not having it all figured out, being stuck, and finding it hard to change.
The song "Liberal Arts" scoffs at the uselessness of a degree, making sure to add some very catchy do do, do do, do dums along the way.
"You found the lock but not the key, and all the trouble of a B.A. in english literature instead of law or something more practical. You traded all your time for money and the blues."
Their label, Merge Records, has a page for Hospitality and they suggest Eleanor Friedberger and Camera Obscura if you like Hospitality. There couldn't be a more fitting suggestion because in many ways Hospitality is quirky mix of the two. The sounds are well layered, busy in a good way, and just completely fun (because there really is no other word to describe it). Just listen to "All Day Today" and try not to tap your toes, it's hard to do.
This was a review I started back in February and I'm still finding different aspects of their music to hold my interest for weeks at a time. You can quote me on this in December, but this is a top 10 album of 2012.
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