Hop Along are one of the many recent success stories to come out of the Philadelphia punk scene. The release of their debut album, Get Disowned, hit hard, picking them up a fair share of fans and paving the way for a breakthrough. Over the past few years, they’ve shared the stage with a variety of groups from Fucked Up to Waxahatchee to the Sidekicks, all while working on the follow-up to their brilliant debut. “Waitress” is the first song they’ve shared from their new album, Painted Shut, and it’s just as great as what they’ve put out before. Frances Quinlan’s scratchy, distinctive voice is at peak intensity, and she stomps her way through a thorny battlefield constructed by the rest of the band. Like Hop Along’s debut, Painted Shut is something of a concept album, each track following a group of characters sketched out in broad strokes. It’s a nice additional layer, but it’s all tangential to the listening experience, because the Philadelphia band makes music that is so immediately satisfying, heartrending, and universal that it’s impossible not to get sucked in. Listen below.

Tracklist:
01 “The Knock”
02 “Buddy In The Parade”
03 “Horseshoe Crabs”
04 “Waitress”
05 “Happy To See Me”
06 “Texas Funeral”
07 “Powerful Man”
08 “I Saw My Twin”
09 “Well-Dressed”
10 “Sister Cities”

Painted Shut is out 4/21 via Saddle Creek.