Hurry – Zoned Out

Over the last decade, Philadelphia has established itself as one of the primary sources of premium power pop. The likes of The Tisburys, Civil Rats, Pontiac Flare, and the wonderful 2nd Grade have all helped to make the city an essential destination for fans of hooks and harmonies.

But if challenged to name the city’s best power pop export, I’d have to pick Hurry, the unassuming ’90s-influenced band led by songwriter Matt Scottoline.

Their sixth album, Zoned Out, is another remarkably consistent offering from Scottoline and company, all the more notable given that it followed a period of writer’s block and crippling self-doubt.

“Does the world really need a new Hurry album?” Scottoline wondered. Fuelled by the determination to resolve this dilemma, Zoned Out is the emphatic “yes” that his question invited.

The core influence and point of comparison is obviously mid-’90s Teenage Fanclub, specifically Grand Prix, so it makes perfect sense that Gerard Love (Scottoline’s favourite songwriter from his favourite band) drops in to sing backing vocals on “Moving After You.” But to call it a highlight would be unfair to Zoned Out’s other nine tracks, especially the reflective “Complications,” fuzzy opener “All Sunk In,” and sumptuous finale “Somewhere (kind of) Old.” The standard throughout really is that even.

There is an endless stream of decent-to-good power pop records, most of which will only ever appeal to genre die-hards. Occasionally, something stands out, demanding attention from the wider pool of music fans. Think Chime School’s The Boy Who Ran The Paisley Hotel, or The Umbrellas’ Fairweather Friend. While Zoned Out isn’t quite at the level of those modern classics, it’s got more than enough quality to warrant consideration beyond the power pop universe.

Zoned Out is out now via Lame-O Records.