One Track Mind

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On November 17, We All Have Hooks for Hands will release The Shape of Energy, their second album on Afternoon Records. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota sextet may have its roots in two defunct hardcore acts, but you would probably never guess it by listening to their spirited indie rock. If there is any hint of this past, it is in the immediacy and energy of their music, which possesses the sloppy excitedness of a happy puppy greeting its owner with a warm, drooling tongue. This fervid approach, however, does not come at the expense of songwriting acuity. Rather, We All Have Hooks for Hands deftly illustrate how to strike a balance between compositional intelligence and rambunctious performance.

For an example of this, look no further than “Made Up of Tiny Lights” from their forthcoming disc. Beginning with some guitar licks that seen designed to detune the instrument, the song soon introduces a mighty drum roll before rising into a section that pops like fireworks against a dark night sky. It feels triumphant and brash, which also describes We All Have Hooks for Hands’ vocal approach, which is all over the place but always in the right spots. Later, an instrumental bridge serves as a segue to a section which has the band locking into an easy groove, which they ride until the track’s conclusion.

There are times when “Made Up of Tiny Lights” feels on the verge of structural collapse, its near cacophony threatening to tear the whole piece asunder. Yet this is where We All Have Hooks for Hands reveal their artistry, injecting enough method into the madness to keep their skyscraper standing, if swaying with the wind.