HUNNY - SPIRIT!

‘SPIRIT!’ is exactly what it says on the tin: HUNNY’s latest is a wild, fizzing celebration of youth. Now led solely by Jason Yarger, the LA indie-pop project leans hard into its instincts, and the result is a record bursting with hooks, humour and high-energy weirdness.

The early ‘title track’ sets the tone with a full-throttle cheerleader chant – recorded by actual fans – and layers of scrappy, joyful production. It’s fun, loud and a little bit unhinged in all the right ways. Yarger throws in a Killers line he intended to change ("I got soul but I’m not a soldier"), jokes about it mid-song ("Please don’t sue me"), and keeps it in anyway. That’s the vibe.

Every song comes in short and sharp. 'POV ur dead and i’m checking my hair in ur sunglasses' is sunshiney guitar-pop with handclaps and chanty vocals. 'White boy dance' is a bouncy interlude built for flailing. 'Tired of u' looks back on youth with a wink, chucking in a reference to the ozone layer for good measure.

There’s no dramatic arc or slow-burn ballad moment; it’s all momentum. A back half run from ‘I can see my house from here’ through to ‘paintball’ delivers more of the same: high-energy indie-pop, weird little lyrical turns and shout-along choruses that don’t take themselves too seriously.

What makes ‘SPIRIT!’ work is how natural it feels. It’s got charm, energy and a sense of humour about itself. You don’t need to overthink it: 'SPIRIT!' is a blast of colour, noise and feeling.