Home, Like No Place Is There

"Home, Like No Place" Is There is the second full length album by Massachusetts punk rock band The Hotelier. Released in 2014 this album would go on to become one of the most acclaimed albums of the year in this scene. This is because of the passion that can clearly be heard on every song, throughout this entire album there is not a single dull moment. While on first listen the lyrical content of this album seems to be deeply personal painting a picture of lead singer Christan Holden's experiences, there is also a political undertone to this album that may be missed on first listen.

One of the strongest traits of this album is the opening track aptly titled "An Introduction To The Album". This song starts off soft and builds in dynamic towards the end, and although it is one of the quieter parts of the album I personally find it to be the most memorable.

"Well show me the honest, proper way 

To disarm predatory gaze 

That's sucking dry 

And never satiated 

You've been misused 

Been rewired 

You're short-circuiting now"

This quote shows the internal struggle of Holden during this song, he seemingly has a strong desire to help a victim of abuse but doesn't know how. In this struggle it seems he could be worrying about doing more harm than good in his attempts. This is a struggle that anyone who has witnessed any form of abuse has felt, often we know that something must be done to help others but we are unsure of what that is.


Another high point of this album is the song "Your Deep Rest". This song notes Holden's battle with losing a friend and feeling guilty for how it has affected him. Although the subject matter of this song is dark the chorus is infectiously catchy and leaves you wanting to hear it again and again. Here the band uses simple song structure and instrumentals again to allow Holden's message and vocal delivery carry the track.

"I called in sick from your funeral (I called in sick, I called in sick)
Tradition of closure nearly felt impossible (I called in sick, I called in sick)
I should have never gave my word to you
Not a cry, not a sound"

Lyrically we see clearly that Holden is struggling with the loss of his close friend. In addition to this earlier in the song it is implied that the friend being discussed in this song had committed suicide because of a mental illness. This leads me to believe that the second half of this verse is Holden regretting his promise to keep his friends struggle a secret until it was too late. Because of this he is feeling guilty and partially responsible for his friends death. This message weighs heavy on listeners and conveys the message that we shouldn't be afraid to encourage people who are struggling to seek help.

One of the criticisms The Hotelier has faced on this album is that they have not done anything new within the genre. This is a fair criticism however, I believe that although everything on this album may have been done before it has not been done as well as The Hotelier has managed to. Overall I think that this was one of the best albums to come from this genre in many years and will continue to hold that title for some time.