Will Anderson is a man who keeps his emotions close to his chest. He was reluctant to make a foray onto a record label, preferring the creative freedom of the DIY scene, and it’s rare for him to work with artists he doesn’t know. It makes sense that his longtime DIY project Hotline TNT has been, until now, exclusively a solo endeavor.
While Anderson intended to abide by his usual process with his new record Raspberry Moon, things changed when his touring band joined him in the studio. Anderson decided to share his vision and flesh out his demos with the help of his friends. Enter guitarist Lucky Hunter, bassist Haylen Trammel, and drummer Mike Ralston. Together, in musician Amos Pitsch’s studio in Wisconsin (who also contributed to the record), the famously noisy, shoegazey band subbed in sunny melodies and gritty riffs. The result is the cleanest collection of songs from Hotline TNT yet.
Raspberry Moon flickers to life through stacked, distorted guitars on “Was I Wrong.” Buzzing with life, the intense sound feels like the iconic THX deep note: a bold, cinematic crescendo that reverberates throughout the theater at the start of a movie. In short, it’s your sign to strap in. The blistering sound frames a classic tale of heartbreak. Anderson, in his shameless tradition, calls out the culprit in the lyrics by name. “Ashley, turn off the TV / Late fees, run by the family,” he sings, his vocals impressively traversing octaves high and low.
The lively introduction is a roaring entry point for the record, and the song spills effortlessly into the next track, “Transition.” A fuzzy soundscape of warm and layered synths, this track then bleeds into the next sludgy song, “The Scene.” Here, scratchy guitars and walloping drums energize the lingering electronic foundation. The resulting frenzied sound is a perfect pairing for the lyrics, where Anderson encourages a lover to “make a scene” on his behalf. While the main riff loops consistently throughout the track, embellishments from electric guitar and a jangly piano line hold your attention.
While the first three songs hemorrhage into one, the bleeding stops with “Julia’s War.” A nod to the DIY record label of the same name, the song dives into the euphoria of a burgeoning love. It’s a rare exploration of hope from Anderson, and the resulting sunny rock song could be a classic anthem from ‘90s Weezer or Teenage Fanclub. It almost feels wrong to hear the usually pessimistic Anderson sound so cheery, and the simplistic chorus of “na na na na na” borders on cheesy. Still, the addictive presence of those stacked guitars mutes those feelings fast.
The drive of optimism continues on songs like “If Time Flies” (When I’m on the road my feelings grow / At all the show / I wanna go and call your phone.”) and the euphoric love song “Candle” (“We’ll find new things to share / I wanna try / Get butterflies.”) Just when the hyper-layered guitars feels like too much, there’s the jangly “Dance the Night Away.” While other tracks chug along with true rock intensity, Anderson doubles down on his vulnerability in this soft rock ballad. “My insecurity / Baby / Move me in double time,” he sings. “Lawnmower” swaps the electric guitars completely for an acoustic foundation, a freeing diversion from all the alt-rock intensity. Bass guitar and Anderson’s layered vocals bring depth to this piercingly melancholy track about that suspended moment in time when you’re in the same room with your soon-to-be ex-lover. “Lose my power / Should have known / Final hours / I’m on my own,” Anderson sings.
The addition of new perspectives on Raspberry Moon enhances Hotline TNT’s signature alt-rock sound, solidifying this record as one of Anderson’s most self-assured albums yet. Other projects, like his breakthrough LP Cartwheel, have that same insatiable shoegaze intensity—but here, the expertly stacked guitars sound impossibly clean. This is all the more surprising considering this is the first time the band has used live drums. The tight sound provides a solid framework for Anderson’s emotive lyrics, and as he breaks away from his usual topics of heartache and self-doubt, and into the realms of hope, romance, and familial love, the album feels more well-rounded lyrically, too.
I am curious about the choice to bleed the first three songs together while the rest stand alone. The beginning of the album feels like one cinematic wave, while the rest of the songs stand as individual pillars. Anderson previously released his 2021 album Nineteen In Love to YouTube as one long video, saying he did it so people would listen to the album in order instead of skipping around. Maybe the bleed here is a similar signal, the first three songs meant to be a package deal while the rest can stand on their own. While the record could have been more dynamic had the ballads been more evenly interspersed among the rock intensity, it’s refreshing to hear more intimate songs from Hotline TNT. From the fierce DIY spirit of the band’s beginnings to now, it’s clear Anderson’s group is growing for the better.
