Hello, Hot Apple Band!
So Long, Noodle House by Hot Apple Band (Newer Music Tuesday)
From the moment I heard their name, I knew I liked Hot Apple Band. Maybe it’s stereotypically American of me, but their name makes me think of apple pie, which brings feelings of fall and a slight chill that calls for soft blankets and an active fireplace. Well, despite my affinity already being established, the release of their new album So Long, Noodle House this past Friday placed them firmly in my list of favorites!
So Long, Noodle House begins as so many great albums do, and that’s with an instrumental. “Bobbin’ For Apples” is a great lead-in, giving the listener a little something to nod to before getting into more lyrical songs. I personally think it would fit perfectly as the opening credits of a 90s road trip movie that’s set in the 70s, due to the modern nostalgia it provides. I think it’s the sound of the guitar that really drives this point home — the fuzzy, electric quality is imitative of any 60s/70s era live jam.
One standout track for me from the album is the third track “One Day (I’ll See)”. Part of this is because I get another clear visual for this song, one that involves a smoky room and a disco ball, colorful lights and warmth on a cold night. The song has a chord progression that I can only describe as truly devastating in a good way. However, my favorite element of “One Day (I’ll See)” definitely has to be the sound of the keyboard. It has this echoey, spacey feel that just feels like you could melt into it and stay forever and ever. Any song with a keyboard sound like that always becomes a favorite of mine, and this one is no different.
So Long, Noodle House is yet another example of my foolproof “track seven” rule, as “‘Til the End” captured my heart completely. This is a song that is the perfect “middle” song, a good last call before closing time. It’s careful and gentle, revealing beauty amidst melodic sighs that make you feel like you’re the only one in this for the long run, then reassures you that there is in fact someone with you after all.
I can’t get any further in my review without acknowledging the name of the track nine, which I really enjoy. “Mike Offeecup” is 22 seconds of some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard. At first, I was considering leaving my thoughts of this one out, because what kind of person feels deeply passionate about a 22 second song called “Mike Offeecup”?! Then I realized that I would be doing a disservice to all the “Mike Offeecup” fans out there if I didn’t say anything, so here I go. When I say this track contains some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard, I’m not exaggerating. This song gave me the exact same stomach plummeting feeling I had when I first heard the Beach Boys’ “Let’s Go Away for a While”, the kind of feeling where if you looked into my eyes, you would see a little animated heart growing bigger and bigger. I’m aware that my reaction could have been overblown, but that’s genuinely what I felt when I first heard this song, and continue to feel when I hear it again.
My final favorite of So Long, Noodle House is the second to last song, “Old Age”. It flows perfectly from the end of “Mike Offeecup”, keeping that slight stomach knot intact through a soulfully defeated intro that’s played beautifully on a piano. The minimalist beginning of the track makes it feel completely sincere, a sentiment that fits the song perfectly. In my notes that I took as I listened to the album, I wrote “harmonies harmonies HARMONIES” with a couple underlines and circles. This is because the harmonies in the chorus of the song are both satisfying and addicting to listen to. “Old Age” is an emotional ballad that takes a turn into the "jam” category, a unique combination that Hot Apple Band pulls off just right.
So Long, Noodle House is a masterpiece of an album, one that is dually charged with the power of a new beginning and an emotional farewell. Hot Apple Band have created an album that captures many different feelings in a way that feels completely natural and effortless, and that makes this album valuable beyond compare.
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