Pop trio New Hope Club return after a two-year break with a long-awaited double release; the first of which is Getting Better, an upbeat summer anthem encapsulating everyone’s feelings as we exit the apocalyptic ‘pandemic era’.
At first glance at New Hope Club’s trajectory over the last few years, it appears as though they released their self-titled debut album, followed it with a single that could lead them into a new era… and then seemingly disappeared over the course of the pandemic. The truth is that COVID allowed them time away from their hectic touring schedule to figure out their sounds and the right next foot forward instead of rushing into a direction they’d regret when it came time to release music They spent two years over Zoom, and then finally when studios were open at the end of last year, able to travel between London and Los Angeles to meet the producers they’d only ever worked with behind a screen. Â Having now completed their album, they embark on their release schedule – starting with Getting Better along with B-side Girl Who Does Both.
Getting Better was one of the songs written towards the end of 2021, as they found their conclusive sound and began work on the project around that. They teased a very early version of the song on TikTok, asking fans for advice and help on whether it’s something they could release or not, and it was the fans’ first taste of what they had been working on for the past 18 months.
The song is incredibly, optimistic, positive and a brilliant way to start a new era after such a difficult few years both for them as they figured themselves out, but also for the world. It definitively encapsulates their song, their personalities and establishes a clear direction ahead. It fits perfectly with the bright yellow aesthetic that the band have chosen to present themselves with. An immediate highlight is the way there’s so much more to it than a “unicorns and rainbows” positivity. Yes, lyrically it is simple, but it alludes to former hardship and looking to the future brighter. This works well with the way it’s been produced, with New Hope Club’s classic strong guitar riff presence, cool drum patterns…. just overall new, funky but classic production.
As a fangirl, I physically couldn’t fault this track if I tried, it’s simply a feel-good anthem and something that can get you out of bed on a harder day, but it’s up to you to make your own judgement.
Now I shall conclude with a quick piece of trivia! New Hope Club’s discography went directly chronological from Worse to Getting Better… make of that what you will – I think it’s pretty cool.
Getting Better is out now via Hollywood Records. You can watch the music video for it here:
