Nashville’s Dad Hats have been at this for a while, five members deep into a sound they call indie rock charm with pop-punk grit, and “hope ur down” is the first taste of their third full-length, “wash. rinse. repeat,” due later this year. It follows their sophomore record “Spill,” which leaned on guitar-driven hooks and the same kind of self-deprecating lyrics on display here.
The song opens with tight drums and a sleek, standout open hat, a groove that’s genuinely rad, dressed up with heavy drum fills along the way. Gritty, distorted guitars join in shortly after, sounding cool and a little scuzzy, while the vocals sit crisp and well-engineered up front with backups falling in right alongside them.
The hi-hats and open hats carry a lot of character throughout this song, fittingly, given the band’s name, and that pays off best near the end, when the rest of the drums drop out and leave just the hats running. It’s a small moment, but it hits hard, and the vocals come back charged up right after it, giving the song a real jolt of energy heading into the close.
“I got a theory, nobody likes me, I’ll spend all my money, hoping that can change” sets the tone early, self-aware and a little hopeless, but delivered with enough bite that it never feels like wallowing.
“hope ur down” is tight, confident, and a genuinely solid listen.
Written by Toyo Senpai
