Hostage Calm – Please Remain Calm

“There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue. There’s just stuff people do.” Writes John Steinbeck in The Grapes Of Wrath, the epic novel about the Great Depression. Without a doubt the United States and Europe face another Depression today. Unemployment rates are going up and especially young people are the victim of a crisis that started on the financial markets. So far a ‘new’ Grapes Of Wrath hasn’t been published yet the soundtrack to that upcoming novel is already here: Please Remain Calm.

Please Remain Calm isn’t another big musical shift for Hostage Calm, like their s/t release was. On this third record the band continues walking a fine line between pop, punk, indie and… close harmony. That’s right. The Beach Boys aren’t that far off for Hostage Calm.

Here are ten songs which much like Modern Life Is War’s Witness, at the time, tell the story of America’s suburban youth.  And just like Witness it comes off as an honest account, pushing boundaries musically and at time ill fitting with what’s popular in hard music today yet showing the kind of craftmanship that makes Please Remain Calm one of those records you’ll keep on spinning. That is if you’re into mellow songs. If you’re looking for stuff to practice your spinkicks and moshing, this will be your dissapointment of the year.

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