Hail Social

Hail Social

[4/5] Just as Bad Religion proved that leather-and-spikes peacockery wasn’t a prerequisite for punk-rock prowess, Philadelphia’s Hail Social resurrect the sound of classic new wave minus the mascara-caked, aerosol-addled fashion. The band’s lyrics also show a refreshing sense of restraint, with singer Dayve Hawk communicating emotional unrest without having to choke dramatically on every anguished utterance. Hail Social let their rattlesnake percussion and burbling bass lines propel their goth-darkened grooves, using “My Sharona”-style staggered riffs and Hawk’s falsetto as secret weapons. The steady-pulsing verses climb to cliff-top peaks, then the soaring choruses hang-glide over the edge, and the end result is remarkably fresh-sounding. (POLYVINYL) Andrew Miller



ROCKS LIKE: Echo And The Bunnymen’s Heaven Up Here • The Rapture’s Out Of the Races And Onto The Tracks • The Faint’s Danse Macabre