All I remembered about Lithuania is that they're in Hop Along's good books and that Heavy Hands was an EP that showed promise. I'd be lying if I said I kept tabs on them. That said, anything associated with Frances Quinlan's band is something I'm definitely going to drop whatever I'm doing and offer up a listen to. Hardcore Friends finds the two-piece finally delivering to their cult following and in a big way. Having minimal expectations really sat well as they jammed out a variety of tracks with so many influences, ranging from indie to punk to '90s emo. This definitely feels like a sleeper hit record for this year.

Lithuania seamlessly flow from melodic, catchy hooks on the fast-paced punk banger "Pieces" to a much more grunge-oriented, bass-heavy jam in "Coronation Day" showing how well they handle their range. They don't skip a beat as they contrast their sounds and styles, which covers a lot of ground - from lo-fi indie to simple acoustics to some of the buzziest, noisiest yet well-polished rock songs I've heard this year. They feel like they can touch mainstream pop-sensibility but without losing their DIY/garage/demo aesthetic. The rough blends pretty nicely with the clean. Another feature which highlights this is the pent-up anger Lithuania express and relieve themselves of on "Deaf Gene." Think of The Cure going indie-punk under the production of Joe Reinhart (ex Algernon Cadwallader). Can't ask for better than that.

This matches up well with the lyrics as well, all smartly and artistically done. Parts feel abstract and open to interpretation but most of the record comes off with such realism. This dynamic's felt on the crunchy indie/emo offering "I Wanna Drink Poison" which induces a feeling of guilt yet touches on repression in life and sacrifice. Like I said, it's a deep record. 'I'd rather be a monster than responsible for my crimes' is a line off this that resonated so much on the album. Many like-minded themes pop-up all over and you spot a pattern when they do where it's a quiet-loud musical setting that's hitting up at these notes. Sneaky and formulaic but one that stings and hits home. Hard. Lithuania definitely have their breakout on Hardcore Friends despite some unnecessary filler at times and as Quinlan subtly chimes in on the self-titled closer, you get a sense that this is the beginning of something big. Their music feels big, profound and most importantly, highly accessible.