Album Review

The Hunches: Exit Dreams
(In the Red)

The good news here is that the Hunches have finished another album.
The even better news is that Exit Dreams, the Portland, Oregon,
garage-punk group’s third full-length, is every bit as good as their
first two, and then some. The bad news, though, is that after an
upcoming tour to play the thing live, they’re calling it quits.

On Exit Dreams, the Hunches adeptly deconstruct standard garage-punk
structures, wash the parts in mammoth distortion and punishing rhythms,
and reassemble everything into a surprisingly cohesive cacophony. The
approach sets them apart from similar acts, and Exit Dreams is rife
with examples. In “Pinwheel Spins,” frontman Hart Gledhill bellows, “my
cup runneth over,” while guitars wind and squeal over pounding
drums—the song sounds like it’s about to explode until all but
the chord progression suddenly falls away, and when everything returns
only seconds later, it pushes every level back into overload. The
rudimentary guitar jaunt of “Swim Hole” repeats measure after measure
until finally breaking apart into feedback oblivion, but it’s sure to
lodge itself in your brain and stay there for days.

Dreams batters beautiful fragments with beastly squalls, but somehow
it all comes off seamlessly. That the band’s songwriting has become so
effortlessly catchy doesn’t hurt. Gledhill’s vocal range, too, has come
a long way since 2002’s Yes. No. Shut It., but it’s the skilled
placement of backup vocals that makes much of this record so anthemic.
Exit Dreams may be the band’s final album, but at least the Hunches are
quitting while they’re ahead. Nothing leaves the speakers sounding
tired or boring, only content. Better go see the band next time they’re
in town, because it’s probably going to be the last.