The Airborne Toxic Event Delivers A Gripping Emotional Record With 'Hollywood Park'

The Airborne Toxic Event are a band I saw pop up at the last second when perusing new releases just before this new record dropped, and I immediately recognized the name but I wasn’t sure where I knew it from. After further research I had played that one song of theirs on Band Hero (worst rhythm game ever made) and had also confused their name with that Australian Hard Rock band Airborne. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into this, but what I got is actually something that I am always in the mood for. That something is any and all music that sounds like The Gaslight Anthem. I don’t want to marginalize and put this band in one box considering there are plenty of notable differences, but just that soulful Americana-infused brand of Punk Rock-lite is a sound that I can’t get enough of. Ever since Gaslight broke up in the first place, I’ve always been more than down to hear something new that brought me back to that style. These guys definitely didn’t disappoint either, as while this isn’t some new replacement for The 59’ Sound it’s still a really strong record that brings a lot of sincerity and emotion to the table.

The first thing that struck me with this record was exactly that - the emotion. If there’s anything this album does so incredibly well, it’s tug at the heartstrings with powerful lyricism and general emotional undertones that bring out the very best in each song. The second track Brother, How Was the War was what initially let me know that this record wasn’t going to be the most upbeat of experiences. That song is such an emotionally potent and moving song that showcases not only the band’s mastery of balladry but also their ability to weave together a narrative that tugs at the heartstrings. From the light research I’ve done, I’ve found that this record is largely dedicated to the life and passing of lead singer Mikel Jollett’s father. That’s not something that you’d expect to be taken lightly, and there isn’t a single moment on here where it is. This is the kind of the album that, even if I didn’t personally enjoy it, would leave me with a strong sense of respect for the artist behind it. It’s clearly music that means more than the world to those responsible for it and they have poured out all of those pent up questions and feelings into the music to the best of their ability. Part of the reason I love music so much is because of how it allows artists to express everything they could ever dream of with just about no limitations whatsoever. This record exemplifies that sheer beauty flawlessly through plenty of songs that just are just simply moving.

As for the music itself, I didn’t find myself quite as captivated by the melodies and songwriting as I was by the emotional elements behind those aspects. That is not to say that I didn’t enjoy many of the songs on here purely for their musical composition though, just that the real thing that makes this album special is more so the passion on display through the poetry. The musicianship here is far from weak, as there are some very thoughtful and well penned passages that make the record feel fairly expansive and keep things fresh. The 6 and a half minute title track is a great example of this, showing off plenty of everchanging passages and catchy hooks that kept me entertained from start to finish. This one is one of the most Gaslight Anthem type tracks on here, and it does a great job of pulling off that Heartland Rock sound with great prowess and understanding of what makes that particular sound tick. As for more upbeat cuts, I Don’t Want To Be Here Anymore has a payoff that’s well worth the wait and serves as one of the more replayable songs on the record. I also really enjoyed the bassline on All The Children, and the explosive climax of All These Engagements serves as one of the best moments on the record for sure. The majority of the songs here are definitely on the slower side though, which is to be expected from an album as rooted in emotion as this one. These slow tracks are mostly done pretty well too, as I especially enjoyed the pianos that flutter throughout. The bass guitar tone throughout the record is the most consistent thing I found enjoyable musically, as it’s just so thick and rooted in a perfect way that accentuates everything else whilst driving each track forward. The performances brought to the table here are really solid, and those performances are bolstered by quite a few great ideas too.

The problems with this one mostly stem from instances of odd pacing here and there, as well as a couple of songwriting ideas that just don’t quite hit the mark as well as the highlights do. I want to make it abundantly clear that I don’t think there is a single bad song on the record whatsoever, but more so just a couple of moments that feel more insignificant than others. Carry Me is an example of a song with magnificent lyricism tackling the struggles of a heroin addict desperately reaching for more purpose and self worth. It’s a touching cut that’s held back quite a bit by the underwritten songwriting, as it’s one of the more basic and stripped back songs and doesn’t give much reason to come back to it. It’s worth hearing for the lyricism, but the music is too upbeat to emphasize that lyricism without taking away it’s spotlight and too compositionally underwritten for the music itself to be very interesting. Both The Place We Meet a Thousand Feet Beneath the Racetrack and it’s reprise felt this issue of being underwritten as well, but I was less into those songs because they feel like they go on longer than they do. These two, especially the reprise, don’t feel like they add terribly much to the album as a whole. I wound up zoning out to both of these when trying to analyze the record, and I had to keep replaying them over and over because I couldn’t even remember what I just heard. There are definitely quite a few really solid slower tracks on the record, though as songs like The Common Touch and True are pretty strong offerings. Even the weaker moments on here are definitely salvageable based on the merit that the incredible lyricism brings to the table as well, which once again makes sure that there isn’t even one actually bad song on here. There are weak spots for sure, but there’s nothing on here that doesn’t deserve at least one listen due to the striking honesty and poetic craftsmanship at work here.

I don’t think I’ll ever remember this as some monumental record that I’ll have much of a particular need to come back to here and again, but for what it’s worth I have a tremendous amount of respect for everything it attempts and everything it accomplishes. The band, and especially Jollett, deserve a ton of credit for putting together a record as dynamic and gripping as this. Brother, How Was the War is such a chillingly gorgeous song that I’d probably give this album a guaranteed 4/10 even if every other song here was the worst thing I’d ever heard anyways. Thankfully though, the sheer amount of passion and articulate artistic expression on display there carries over and makes this album something that’s really quite special. It’s not one that I’ll have on repeat for ever, but I can easily see why this one could mean quite a lot to a lot of people. It’s the kind of record that isn’t for everybody, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the people that get hit hard by this thing buy 10 copies of it’s vinyl and frame each one on their bedroom walls. I highly recommend giving this an honest handful of spins and diving deep into everything the lyrical content has to offer. Hollywood Park is a record packed with poignant poetry exemplifying tremendous spiritual growth that really left me moved in places. It’s a record that has a couple of compositional weak spots that left it not being my personal favorite, but regardless The Airborne Toxic Event have still created something special here. I can easily see this one holding a near and dear place in many listeners' hearts with it’s hauntingly beautiful messages. - 7.7/10 (Best Songs - Brother, How Was the War?, I Don’t Want To Be Here Anymore, All These Engagements)