Hospitality//Trouble

A variety of sources have capitalized on the figurative trading in of Hospitality’s cardigans for something a little tougher on their latest album, Trouble. This clever observation extends at least in part from the fact that sometime after the release of their self-titled debut, singer and guitarist Amber Papini took to regularly donning the greatest piece of punk rock iconography since the smashed guitar: a leather jacket. Short of leaving their twee past behind them, Trouble finds Hospitality mapping a trajectory familiar to so many bands whose promising debuts are followed by sonically and/or technically ambitious sophomore albums that while showcasing their bigger budgets also demonstrate a lack of cohesion.