Hembree - “ATM”

SXSW 2024 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…Glass Animals, The War On Drugs, Joywave

Hembree offered a few singles in 2023 to follow up their excellent sophomore record It’s a Dream!, songs that pull in new wave and indie rock patterns into a catchy, upbeat sound. It’s notable how Hembree’s music constantly drives forward, rhythm and percussive textures being the foundation that makes their synth and guitar grooves so infectious. While not overdone, most of the melodies in Hembree’s music are hooks upon hooks, sing-a-longs by the time a chorus comes back around for a second time. While the drizzle of singles is nice, 2024 feels right for a proper follow-up to It’s a Dream!, so fingers crossed that SXSW will be a preview to what’s next from this killer rock and roll band. (Kevin McStravick)

2023 Review: Hembree sound noticeably crisp on 2022 record It’s a Dream!, a collection of tracks that could all be singles given the Kansas-based band’s penchant for tight hooks and upbeat rhythms. While there is a more-is-more approach apparent on It’s a Dream!, Hembree rarely sound overloaded. Finely produced and highly danceable, it’s the kind of record that has wide appeal as Hembree continue to evolve into a stronger version of themselves. What was once a fusion of alt-rock and synth-pop is now a core sound right in between, hardening the edges instead of branching into untested waters.