Review Score:

A-

July 10 / 2025 –

Hotline TNT might end up as one of a few bands who I am content to hear make the same album every time. Among that group are the likes of Future Islands and Men I Trust. They’re groups that have settled into a pocket within their respective genres and kill it every time. I can’t explain why I don’t need them to expand upon their sound, and I can’t promise I will always feel this way. But for now, all I need Hotline TNT to do is keep it noisy and walk that line between slapdash and refined. 

The key difference between this project and Cartwheel is that, during the studio recording process, Will Anderson was not alone. On the past projects, Hotline TNT was more of a Bleachers situation – a one man show in the studio and a band while on tour. But, just as Jack Antonoff began to bring his bandmates into the fold over time, Will Anderson’s bandmates joined him to record Raspberry Moon.

As a result, not everything on Raspberry Moon is a fuzzy guitar noise-fest. On “Break Right”, the band allows time for piano post-choruses and softer vocals. And just because I want them to stay true to the same sound doesn’t mean the band is stuck in neutral. Lyrically and instrumentally, a lot of Raspberry Moon feels a little more theatrical than the band’s previous album.

“Julia’s War”, one of the albums singles, is another highlight. It’s catchier, with some “na na na”s in there for the folks at home. But it maintains that trademark fuzz. “Dance The Night Away” has a guitar hook that almost sounds like some 90s Goo Goo Dolls. Will Anderson is a sick man for that. The album has a variety of undeniable shoegaze hits, if you care to classify the album that way. It scratched all the same itches as the previous Hotline TNT project, while also satisfying me in new, subtle ways. Overall, a solid listen.

Review Score:

A-

Gubb wrote this review. You can’t get mad at Gubb.