It’s been almost six years since the Philadelphia instrumental crew Hour put out an album; that was 2018’s Anemone Red. Michael Cormier-O’Leary, who leads the group, has been plenty busy in that time, playing in Friendship and helping run Dear Life Records and putting out music of his own. But today, Hour are announcing a new full-length album called Ease The Work, which will be out in April, and they’re sharing its lead single “Hallmark.”

“I like the double meaning of the word Hallmark,” Cormier-O’Leary shared. “On the one hand, it’s a nod to the monolithic maker of greeting cards and B-movies. On the other, it’s a word used to distinguish works of excellence.” He continued:

Ironic then how most Hallmark movies are just awful. And yet, I am actually very inspired by their clarity of emotion. There is no gray area! “I love you,” “I hate you,” “I’m happy,” “I’m sad,” “You’re mine,” “You’re gone.” I certainly struggle to express my own emotions as succinctly as that.

For the music video, I wanted it to look like Hal Hartley had directed a fucked up version of Babette’s Feast. There’s a stately elegance that’s completely at odds with the low-budget aesthetic. The players move so swoony and dancelike while depicting the ugliness and exhaustion that comes from working too much. We tried to do a Wong Kar-Wai effect for the last sequence and sorta fucked it up but it ended up looking really cool anyway.

Listen below.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Island Time”
02 “Ease The Work”
03 “Stoner”
04 “A Good Beanpot”
05 “Brain Scrub”
06 “KC & Clem”
07 “Dying Of Laughter”
08 “Hallmark”
09 “The Most Gorgeous Day In History”
10 “Often Walking”
11 “Mom Calls And You Answer”
12 “Kelly’s House”

TOUR DATES:
02/24 Brooklyn, NY @ Williamsburg Opera House*
03/06 Pittsburgh, PA @ Skyzone 2
03/07 Cleveland, OH @ Shepard Records
03/08 Columbus, OH @ The Rambling House
03/09 Cincinnati, OH @ DSGN CLLCTV
03/10 Louisville, KY @ B-Side
03/11 St. Louis, MO @ William A. Kerr Foundation
03/12 Columbia, MO @ Cafe Berlin
03/13 Fayetteville, AR @ Trillium Salon Series
03/15 Austin, TX @ Dear Life Records SXSW Showcase
03/16 Austin, TX @ Biscuit Press
03/17 Dripping Springs, TX @ Chill Phases
03/19 Nashville, TN @ Random Sample
03/20 Boone, NC @ Lily’s Snack Bar
03/21 Greenville, SC @ Cabin Floor Records
03/22 Durham, NC @ Perfect Lovers
03/23 Takoma Park, MD @ Perfect Lovers
05/15 Keene, NH @ The Thing in the Spring
* w/ Joe Pera

Ease The Work is out 4/12 via Dear Life Records.