Well, this is a delightful way to kick off a new month! Hormones from Melbourne, Australia (not to be confused with The Hormones from Austin, Texas) have just unleashed what I believe to be their debut release — a killer digital single for fans of poppy '77-style punk. The songs — "Out of the House, Out of the Closet" and "I Wanna Be Your Herfriend" — had me smitten from the very first chord. Imagine the Buzzcocks playing Ramones songs with a young Robin Gibb singing. From the title alone, you can deduce what "Out of the House, Out of the Closet" is about. Lead singer Joseph Ling takes a very matter-of-fact approach to singing about what's it like to go out into the world in more ways than one. A lyric like "Now I'm stuck at the airport in the men's room with the door locked/Wish I was back in my home town in my bathroom putting makeup on" is both heart-rending and totally endearing, and no doubt this song will be an anthem for anyone who's been in those same shoes or someday will be. Songs like this are why punk rock is the greatest music humankind has ever created. It's a masterpiece of musical simplicity and infectious energy that conveys powerful, complex emotions. It reflects on very serious subject matter while still being tremendous fun. Its release on the first day of Pride Month was well-timed. "I Wanna Be Your Herfriend" puts a supremely clever twist on the typical punk-pop "song about a girl," and it's an instant smash. I feel like people will be quoting these lyrics for a long time to come. Hormones have followed the "always leave 'em wanting more" playbook to a T on this single. Is it possible to already love a band after hearing just two songs? I'm asking for a friend.
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