Pop-Punk titans, Broadside, have returned with their fourth studio album, Hotel Bleu! It's been 3.5 years since the band released their breakthrough album, Into the Raging Sea, which was a departure from their initial “bouncy” pop-punk sound, as well as their second release with Sharptone Records. Hotel Bleu is a return to form with 11 feel-good tunes that feature intoxicating choruses and vocal collaborations from Brian Butcher (The Home Team), Josh Roberts (Magnolia Park), and Devin Papadol (Honey Revenge) that make for some of the band’s most original tracks to date.
Broadside is a band that has been through countless “eras” and changes, and this release marks an entirely new chapter for the band. Hotel Bleu is the Broadside’s first release to feature their current three-piece lineup, Oliver Baxter (frontman), Pat Diaz (bass) and Domenic Reid (guitar). The band quotes the new album as “the natural progression” of their previous bodies of work, and that a majority of the new tracks were written for the live experience, while some “might be better heard off alone somewhere.” The album starts off strong with the huge pop-punk anthem, “Stranger,” which sets the tone for an album chock-full of “bangers!” The versatility of this album can be summed up with three tracks; “Cruel (featuring Brian Butcher of The Home Team),” which is an upbeat track about learning to face your fears/insecurities, “Dazed & Confused,” which symbolizes a relationship with someone that you know isn't necessarily the best for you, but you just can't get enough, and “Bleu,” which serves as the album’s closing track that also symbolizes the loss of a relationship and trying to get through the emotional slump one goes through in that situation.
Personally, I have been following Broadside for close to a decade; I’ve listened to every track, seen them perform to crowds of less than 10 people, and have been there through countless lineup changes. Hotel Bleu sounds/feels more like what Broadside has been trying to become than any of their previous work. Unfortunately, the band has been severely underrated and I have always considered them to be the “underdogs” of the pop-punk scene, but I can tell that the effort that was put into this album is enough to push the band into the limelight and push the band to the next level of popularity.
Hotel Bleu is an experience through and through, and I truly hope you enjoy your stay as much as I did!
Broadside's fourth studio LP, Hotel Bleu, will be released November 10 via SharpTone Records.
Want to hear some of Broadside's new material live? Catch them this fall as the main support act on This Wild Life's "Tour Story" North American headlining tour, alongside Worry Club and Not My Weekend:
November 1, 2023 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom – Phoenix
November 2, 2023 – San Diego, CA – Soma
November 4, 2023 – Los Angeles, CA – The Regent Theater Los Angeles
November 5, 2023 – Fresno, CA – Strummers
November 7, 2023 – Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone
November 8, 2023 – Roseville, CA – Goldfield Trading Post – Roseville
November 10, 2023 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
November 11, 2023 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
November 13, 2023 – Salt Lake City, UT – Soundwell
November 14, 2023 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater – CO
November 16, 2023 – St. Louis, MO – Old Rock House
November 17, 2023 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
November 18, 2023 – Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig
November 19, 2023 – Lakewood, OH – Mahalls
November 21, 2023 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall
November 22, 2023 – Rochester, NY – Montage Music Hall
November 24, 2023 – Allston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
November 25, 2023 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
November 26, 2023 – Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry Philadelphia
November 28, 2023 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
November 29, 2023 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club
November 30, 2023 – Greensboro, NC – Hangar 1819
December 1, 2023 – Orlando, FL – Level 13 Event Center
December 2, 2023 – Atlanta, GA – The Loft at Center Stage
December 4, 2023 – Nashville, TN – Exit In
December 7, 2023 – Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City Music Hall
December 8, 2023 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater Dallas
December 9, 2023 – San Antonio, TX – Vibes Event Center
