With Hallo, the Belgian four-piece enter a new era, one in which their explosive garage rock gives way to songs that now also shine and sparkle. Hallo is the sound of youth unleashed. Of lives lived and experience knocking on your door. “Hello, we are Sons!” Sons still relentlessly torment their instruments – just check out the furious title track – but what makes ‘Hallo’ different from the previous two albums (2019’s Family Dinner and 2022’s Sweet Boy) is a certain joie de vivre that has crept in. By looking deeper into themselves, they have discovered that not every message needs to be accompanied by a fist on the table. A tap on the shoulder and a telling glance can sometimes be more effective. The talisman for this fresh, musical, but still sharp and powerful sound: producer David McCracken. Also known for shaping the sexy groove of dEUS classic ‘The Architect’, the British producer has an impressive resume having worked with Stone Roses’ frontman Ian Brown, A$AP Rocky, Beyoncé and Depeche Mode amongst others. McCracken loved the band’s new demos and after having made several trips to the band’s hometown of Melsele (a small town near Antwerp know for its annual Miss Strawberry competition) to help whip the songs into shape then invited the band to record in London. As for the subject matter on Hallo, Sons continues to find inspiration in everyday life and in the way we allow ourselves to be held hostage to hustle and bustle of things. The struggle with social media and unrealistic ideals of beauty, the constant feeling of having to be reachable, but just as much they cut to universal themes like friendship or the importance of maintaining a positive outlook on life.
