Hosemen - Saturday Night Conformity

Hosemen

Saturday Night Conformity

by Kyle Scott at 24 April 2019, 9:18 AM

Debuting from Stamford, Connecticut, Alt Rock/Punk band HOSEMEN come out sure and steadfast like they've done this a thousand times before. They most likely have, as they've been around their local music scene since 2005. Originally going by the less attractive MANTYHOSE, they switched to HOSEMEN after their bassist and drummer joined three years ago. Saturday Night Conformity exudes an air of confidence, echoing vibes of JOY DIVISION with an angstier edge whose tempo is a pace as slow as a small town slowly hemorrhaging people and jobs without knowing what's wrong until it's too late.

"Sickness" is up first, and the track resonates deeply conflicted feelings for someone that they had an unhealthy attachment to. Follow up track "I Surround" seconds the first song, and goes into more detail about how this obsession may be just a desperation to fuck, and how they know it. Finished with a yell Steven Tyler would be proud of, "Hollow Man" appears next, channeling the golden age of Goth music in its moody atmosphere. The energy may be subdued and sounds rather tame for most of the album. Nothing fancy in terms of playing, no solos or explosive drums. Then you get to the final track to learn that HOSEMEN were saving the best for last. "Mush" is all Punk, all popping snares, dissonant chords, HOSEMEN brings the party home with this track.

Saturday Night Conformity is one of those broken-hearted love records, with talk of missing someone you no longer are close with and how much of a wreck you are, but it goes beyond the superficial boo-hooing. In all seven tracks, there are glimpses of losing oneself in self-destruction that is passed off as healthy coping mechanisms and signs of life, and battling with unrecognized signs of deep-seated codependency issues. HOSEMEN brings a lot of unconfronted stuff to the surface in Saturday Night Conformity.

Songwriting: 10
Originality: 8
Memorability: 7
Production: 10