EMO-rock idols Hawthorne Heights are ready to bring EMO back to your ears with their latest single, “Dandelions,” which is the band’s first taste of new music since their 2021 released studio album, The Rain Just Follows Me.
Knowing I’d hear the track live during the When We Were Young festival this past weekend, I held out a little to write up a review for “Dandelions” until I could also hear the track in a live setting to fully wrap my head around the scope of Hawthorne Heights’ latest single.
So, do Hawthorne Heights still manage to write a scene-stealing musical experience in the form of “Dandelions?” Or are these EMO rockers finally getting close to hitting empty on their tank? Let’s find out.
Releasing a single based on commentary about the utilization of the internet and its many social media pitfalls leading to our mental downfall and the breakdown of the world around us is a choice. But, a welcome choice that Hawthorne Heights brings to the light of day in the form of “Dandelions.”
“Dandelions” doesn’t travel far from the sound many have grown to love from Hawthorne Heights’ various releases while adding atmospheric weight to the equation to get listeners questioning their online motives, creating the perfect fusion between screeching guitars and discussion points.
Lyrically, “Dandelions” fits right in with the band’s previous album, The Rain Just Follows Me, acting as a progressive continuation of the band’s more modern take on the EMO genre. “I sold my tears and I paid my dues/I faced my fears and I sang the blues,” just a touch of the lyrical quality fans have come to expect from Hawthorne Heights as frontman JT Woodruff’s infectious vocal melodies get lost to memory.
If you’re a fan of the band’s latest sonic-sound adventures, “Dandelions” will be an instant hit. But, if you’re a fan still clamoring for the days of The Silence In Black And White, this isn’t a return to form. Which in and of itself is a good thing, and I genuinely believe modern-day Hawthorne Heights has a lot more weight to provide to their sound compared to the band’s glory days.
“Dandelions” musically doesn’t push any barriers but provides an eye-opening commentary on our digital age while sticking close to what listeners have come to look forward to when Hawthorne Heights releases a new song. The band’s latest single is catchy, powerful in theme, and should have no problem finding a home among their dedicated fanbase and grabbing the attention of new listeners.
If you’d like to catch Hawthorne Heights in a live setting, the band currently has a string of upcoming shows with tickets available now. If you’ve been on the fence about letting your EMO flag fly, now is the chance to jump on the Hawthorne Heights live show experience.
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Stream Hawthorne Heights’ latest infectious single, “Dandelions,” on Spotify & Apple Music
