Hotline TNT - Raspberry Moon

‘Raspberry Moon’ is a somewhat modest follow-up to Hotline TNT’s 2023 breakout debut ‘Cartwheel’, a self-reinvention of sorts: where their debut came from what was essentially a solo project of frontman Will Anderson, its follow-up sees the outfit writing and recording as a unit. As a result, the album introduces newfound perspectives into Will’s songwriting, where themes of friendship and love swirl among glittery, whining guitar lines. The opening three songs smoothly feed into one another. ‘Was I Wrong’ builds into a heartbroken lament engulfed by a wall of guitars, tapering into a synth-led prelude which translates the flickering sensation of motorway lights. ‘The Scene’, one of the first written as a band, buries piano under harsh shoegaze and chugging harmonic guitar melodies. ‘Letter to Heaven’ then continues to ace the new full band sound with an anthemic solo and tasteful feedback. So far, so good, with intricate percussion countering and complementing the quietness, adding vigour and dynamics to what could otherwise often pass for ‘Cartwheel’ demos. But, there’s a sterile shift towards the second half: both ‘Candle’ and ‘Dance the Night Away’ aim for a heartfelt approach but land awkwardly with wedding bell-esque chords. While ultimately a step forward - most notably, in its introduction of greater lyrical vulnerability and richer sounds most notable - a little more cohesion wouldn’t have gone amiss.