Fresh and intimidatingly intimate, Prince Daddy & The Hyena deliver a freight of emotions in the 13 tracks of their self-titled album, due for release on Friday April 15, 2022 via Pure Noise Records.
The effort opens with “Adore the Sun,” a melodic indie track with a tranquil aesthetic that melds synth annunciations, luring the listener in while building to a climatic track conclusion. Coming in hot, “A Random Exercise In Impermanence (The Collector)” accelerates the album; a punk track with sprinklings of indie intermissions. It’s unnerving in a great way with unpredictable, catchy and seemingly private subject matter. I kept playing this one on repeat, catching something new and interesting in each listen.
Moving down the album, Prince Daddy & The Hyena jump from mellow to furious at a moment’s notice. According to the band, this is intentional. “I kind of wanted this album to feel like a car crash,” admits vocalist Kory Gregory. “I wanted it to feel like you’re getting whiplash going from song to song.” Perfectly summed up by Gregory, Prince Daddy & The Hyena have composed an album that will certainly hold your attention and keep you guessing what the next track will hold.
About midway through the album we hear “Hollow, As You Figured.” This one is angsty, dark, gritty and is absolutely my favorite track on the album. The intensity, the fiery electric guitar and the chef’s kiss of vocal talent from Gregory make it a standout track.
A seemingly peppy reprieve, “Keep Up That Talk” is so upbeat initially, it felt familiar. A Paramore track came to mind until the breakdown hit harder than a gland slam. Additionally, the drums and guitar work in the closing of this track are phenomenal.
As we near the end of the record, “Black Mold” is not really the final track but feels like the album’s Swan Song, in composition and a metaphor for Gregory’s lifelong battle with depression. Accented with a haunting personal voicemail, the track is equal parts poetic and cryptic with a symphonic conclusion that builds anticipation with its percussion and guitar work , integrating in synth, noise and static in a most disorienting fashion. The true album closer, “Baby Blue” is a lighthearted and misty acoustic song that releases the tension “Black Mold” leaves the listener with. “Baby Blue” is a hopeful and delicate afterword, shining light on the future.
Prince Daddy & The Hyena have triumphantly released a must-listen to record. It’s emo, punk and indie but more importantly, it’s an exemplary compilation of songs.
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