June 3,2021

Written By Eric Foreman

ANOTHER HOSPITAL RELEASE THEIR HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RECORD "PROOF OF CONTEXT"

Pulling forward pop sensibilities from 2010’s era indie and the emotional honesty of folk, Another Hospital submit an ambitious EP that connects on all of its targets without missing a step.

​2019 was a big year for Philly based band Another Hospital. They transitioned into being a full ensemble and released their debut album entitled Oh Lord, Oh Brother, Oh Baby. Unfortunately, like for many other artists, the COVID-19 pandemic steadfastly blocked the momentum that this group was building.  The resulting monotonous routine of mandated home life led to the inspiration of new EP Proof of Context, a short, powerful release inspired by the cyclical, existential nature of the past year. 

The record kicks off with a beautiful introduction to vocalist Eric Kohlenstein, who floats over a driving, acoustic melody. The vocal tone mixed with the instrumentals reminisce on a Fleet Foxes tune that does not wander aimlessly but directs itself to a destination, no questions asked. The addition of the 4 band members (guitarist Dylan Grey, multi-instrumentalist Julia McIntyre, bassist Evan Ballew and drummer Jamie Conroy) arrives as a clear asset as the track builds to a layered sing-a-long. “Rotunda” enters bass forward, cooling off from the crescendo of the previous song. An immediate strength of Another Hospital is their ability to balance the ambition of an artist like Tame Impala with the melodic control of the kind of 2010s folk such as the Lumineers or Mumford and Sons.

Throughout the length of the EP, Kohlenstein ruminates on mental health and existentialism with unending introspection. The inward focus nature of the lyrics does not distract from the ambition of the songs themselves, combining current and recent past songs to put forward a familiar but unique sound. Last track, “Cycles” is a near full instrumental that envelopes the listener with distant vocal sounds and steady guitars emulating the sound of walking down a hallway towards a …. The track crashes through its four-minute runtime leaving a shadow of the entity that once was. The beauty of this track is that it highlights how compelling the musical compositions on this EP actually are – even with vocals pulled back, Another Hospital delights and mystifies.

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The impact on productivity and the sound of music has been altered unimaginably in the past year. With their newest EP, Another Hospital stands to emerge as a more solid entity than they arrived. Drifting on the back of interesting, well-written jams – this band should be a must watch for the next year. It is clear that the ideas will only get grander, the songs only sweeter, and the kinship even tighter.