art-pop collective hello forever's debut album 'whatever it is' takes listeners back to the '60s
By Sophia Denison
Up-and-coming art pop collective Hello Forever’s debut album, Whatever It Is, verifies that music can truly be “whatever it is.” The seven musicians from Topanga Canyon, CA, were brought together through their love of carefree aesthetics and their common mission to spread feel-good music in the modern era. Recorded over 200 days in bedrooms and borrowed studios, this ‘60s influenced project is sure to be the soundtrack we all need going into this summer.
Bold right out of the gate, “Some Faith” opens with a chimney jingle that leads smoothly into a catchy guitar riff. Lyrics proclaiming “it was love” soon follow as if suddenly overcome with the flood of passion for new love. Perfectly capturing the intensity of the feeling, the lyrics begin to question, “Is it love? / Terrified me.” Riffs and echoing background harmonies make this song an upbeat heart-racer about plunging into the terrifying yet exciting abyss of love. As the feeling builds, so do the vocals and instrumentation as more drums and harmonies are added to almost every verse, leading up to a wonderfully deserved guitar solo emoting what lyrics cannot.
An a capella intro to “Anywhere is Everywhere” takes a more surf-pop tone while still continuing the story of new love that the previous track started. The lyrics “Question where I’m going, I’ll just go / Question who I’m loving, I’ll just love / ‘Cause everything’s fine” display the happy-go-lucky nature of this track and emulate the spirit of this album as a whole. Although this song lacks a heavy use of instrumentals, it is far from lacking depth. Supporting harmonies and vocal riffs imitating a lead guitar give the song a buzz of life and humor, adding to the carefree atmosphere of the track as well.
Another story-telling track, “Farm on the Mountaintop,” takes the listener on a more specific journey of idealized romance. The lyrics “Feel like summertime every morning / Our favorite birds will sing our names so clear” and later “Every day could be paradise / Every day, paradise” describes what life could be if these two lovers could share every moment together: paradise.
A tingling piano outro transitions to “Colors in the Sky,” which doesn’t stray from the established trend of lyrically-driven tracks. The group creates distinct melodies with their vocals to support the lyrics and the instrumentation is merely used to keep the track moving and add depth. The bridge travels to a melodic flow with transposed repeating lyrics of “Colors in the sky” paired with heavier instrumentation that concludes with “Angels dancing in disguise”.
The first ballad-like song presented on the album, “Created For Your Love,” takes a step back from the spontaneous aspect of love and explores the vulnerability of deeper connection. Just as “Farm on the Mountaintop” lays out the wonders of spending every moment with a loved one, “Created For Your Love” captures the feeling of when that luxury is taken away. Themes of distance, longing for the touch of a loved one and commitment are explored as lead singer Samuel Joseph pours his heart out.
“Rise” continues the softer beat as started on the previous track but attempts to pick up the vocals. Lighthearted themes with lyrics “Living life in the action” seem to be awkwardly placed with the laid-back atmosphere around them. The chorus’s altered vocals are foggy, muted and unexciting. However, the energy does pick things up toward the end of the song with compounding drums and guitar.
Moving on, “Natural” opens with a pop-punk style introduction. As if listening to a conversation, the guitar seems to respond to each spoken lyric, reminding the listener of Hello Forever’s comedic side. Lyrics “Love, I hear your heartbeat singing my silly songs” and “I couldn’t photograph the way she’s walking” put into perspective the sweet infatuation Joseph has for his love and how they are perfectly “natural” in his eyes.
Wonderfully vintage sounding, “Get It Right” embodies 1960s nostalgia. A groovy tambourine accompanies the group’s signature background vocal harmonies. One of the first songs that isn’t explicitly about love, this track explores internal conflict and overthinking. It starts with repeating lyrics of “I hope I get it right,” as if trying not to think too hard about the future and trusting that everything will eventually fall into place. The song then sharply turns to a more crushing section representing the stress and weight carried by the question “Am I doing the right thing?” Ending back where it started, the song concludes on a more positive and lighthearted note with the return of tambourines and a carefree tone.
“Yeah Like Whatever” continues the 60s throwback with a men’s quartet interjecting “Whatever, whatever.” The vintage themes are paired with more modern auto-tuned bits and bass with centralized vocals. Midway through, the vocals are accompanied with the lead guitar before repeating lyrics. Although fitting in the scope of the album very well, this song does not have much stand-alone listenability.
Dreamlike fantasy track “I Want to Marry You” is pure happiness. The endearing chorus repeats “I want to marry you today” and listeners can’t help but crack a smile. The song ends abruptly at two minutes as if awoken from a dream, showcasing the disappointment after realizing none of it was real.
“Her Everything” examines futile elements of the singer’s deep and adventurous love. Lyrics “Heaven’s walking toward me / Savoring her everything” leading to the chorus of “I don’t want it all / Just let me sleep right next to you” remind the listener of how hopelessly in love he is. With each repeat of the chorus, more complex and ornate harmonies are added to amplify the capacity of his feelings. One of the more emotionally potent tracks of the album, it fittingly ends with a heavy outro that expresses the complex beauty of navigating romantic love.
The closing track “Happening” takes a more modern approach, contrasting to the vintage sound of the rest of the album. The guitar picking matches the softer tone the lyrics present. However, the balance makes the picking too distractingly loud and takes away from the softness of the concluding lyrics. Putting that aside, this reflective track draws the album to a close with meditative references, with lyrics “I am whatever I am” emphasizing the consistent ‘m’ and contemplative thoughts like “We’re here for our time and then we leave.”
Hello Forever brings together a kaleidoscope of floral images and feelings as a 1960s love-filled dreamland. Whatever It Is maintained consistency through its quirky intros and the group’s signature vintage-reminiscent vocal harmonies. Their personality was never lost through their humorous riffs and gentle reminders to relax and let go. While most of the album stuck to themes of going with the flow, moments of emotional vulnerability were still present like in songs “Created for Your Love” and “Get it Right.” While “Yeah Like Whatever” felt too empty and “Happening” had some balance issues, overall Hello Forever has clearly established their aesthetic while still leaving room for growth within their sound with this debut album.