Fourth Of July - "Empty Moon"

Lawrence, Kansas folk rock band Fourth Of July return today with the release of Empty Moon, their excellent third album and debut for new K.C.-based label High Dive Records (The ACBS, Ghosty).  The band is led by the clever and observational wordplay of vocalist and guitarist Brendan Hangauer, with his brother Patrick Hangauer (bass) and brothers Brian Costello (drums, vocals) and Brendan Costello (guitar).  The album was recorded with Chris Crisci of The Appleseed Cast and mastered to 2” analog tape.         

The title track, “Empty Moon” opens the album with a propulsive rhythm bolstered by steady, jangly guitar strumming and features a subtle keyboard melody and trumpet solo.  The first single, “Drinking Binge” stands out with a winding guitar line and some catchy shout-along vocals that describe feeling old and no longer being able to keep up with the younger partiers.  “Colorado” follows with some country-leaning melodies and instrumentation complete with breezy pedal steel.  Another standout track, “The Cost” is seven minutes long with a rolling guitar riff that slowly builds into a cathartic coda along with Brendan’s easily relatable lyrics of love lost and regret.  Adrianne Verhoeven of The Anniversary and Extra Classic provides her sweet vocals to the aching “Before Our Hearts Expode” with its wispy pedal steel.  The bouncy beat of “Eskimo Brothers” along with the infectious sing-along parts make for yet another standout moment.  The rollicking “Fall In August” features raucous guitars and a shuffling rhythm.  “Berlin”, a tale of long distance relationships gone wrong, closes out the eight-song album leaving you satisfied but wanting more.

With its vividly descriptive and honest, conversational lyrical tone, listening to Empty Moon by Fourth Of July is like watching reality TV or secretly reading your best friend’s journal and it makes for their strongest and most cohesive album yet.                   

Download the single, “Drinking Binge” here: https://soundcloud.com/230publicity/drinking-binge

Stream/Download the Demo version of Empty Moon to get a taste of how these songs evolved here:

For more info: http://highdiverecords.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/fourthofjulymusic