Since the release of 2013’s Extra Worlds EP, fuzzy power pop band LVL UP have been very busy between other projects (Crying, Trace Mountains, Double Double Whammy). Somehow, the New York/New Jersey foursome found enough time to record their sophomore album, Hoodwink’d. The record’s first single, “Soft Power”, balances raw vulnerability and boldness, allowing the song’s more raucous moments to shine before returning to a mellow lo-fi sound. The name itself, “Soft Power”, seems to act as a metaphor for an alternative approach towards angst: rather than loudly whining about life’s supposed injustices, LVL UP chooses the path of acceptance, wisely declaring that “minimal heartbreak feels nice.”
Hoodwink’d will be released on September 23 as a split between Exploding in Sound and lead vocalist Dave Benton’s Double Double Whammy label. You can pre-order the record here.
Stream “Soft Power” below.
LVL UP will be playing several shows with Liam Betson, who recently released his new album The Cover of Hunter on Double Double Whammy.
LVL UP/Liam Betson tour dates:
August:
18 Philly, PA @ Golden Tea House w/ Sheer Mag, Spirit of the Beehive
19 Montclair, NJ @ Bat Cave w/ Toasted Plastic
20 Richmond, VA @ Gallery 5 w/ Spacemonster
21 Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong w/ Max Levine Ensemble
22 Pittsburgh, PA @ The People’s Warehouse w/ WC Lindsay, Steady Hands, Denzell, I am a Sea Creature
23 Columbus, OH @ Carabar w/ Tin Armor, All Dogs
29 Hamden, CT @ The Space w/ Loner Chic, High Pop, Krill
30 Brooklyn, NY @ Shea Stadium w/ Andrew Cedarmark, Mitski
