Coming out of Brighton, England, interestingly named alternative rock duo H_ngm_n blend elements of emo pop and pop punk music with other influences into a sound that encapsulates ever-relevant emotions such as love and heartbreak. Their recent track “Nothing Personal” tells the story of the narrator’s failing relationship in a story that many listeners can connect with.
The track opens with a slightly overdriven guitar and a typical 4/4 pop punk drum beat at a relatively fast tempo that is bound to get your head bopping along to the rhythm. The song features sounds reminiscent of bands such as Taking Back Sunday with a bit of a more Midwest emo flair (which is a bit funny considering the band is from the UK, nowhere near the Midwest United States), shown through twinkly lead guitars that really add a layer of technical musicianship to the track.
The music is a bit more complex and interesting than your average pop punk track, but this does not mean the song is missing any pop sensibilities. The song’s chorus, bursting out with the lyrics, “every time you call, my heart falls out of my chest and falls to the floor,” remained stuck in my head after my initial listening. The lyrics were easy to connect with, and the track’s smooth, bright vocal tone wraps everything into a very pleasant and attractive-sounding track.
The song’s bridge, along with some other parts of the song, reminded me of classic emo pop such as Paramore’s 2005 debut album All We Know Is Falling. Finally, I liked the short half-time breakdown at the end of the song as it added a sense of variety and made an already interesting song even more interesting.
I would recommend the track for fans of emo pop bands such as Paramore, Taking Back Sunday, and Fall Out Boy! You can check it out on the BANDCAMP, where you can also find the band’s other music and support them directly. To keep up with their career and future announcements, go follow their social media pages, which can be found on their Linktree HERE!
Written by Naomi Niemiec
