Hotline TNT, the NYC-based project helmed by Will Anderson, lay it all out on ‘Raspberry Moon’: A decisively sharp, charming, and hook-heavy full-length released via Third Man Records.

Stream: ‘Raspberry Moon’ – Hotline TNT

Hotline TNT’s Raspberry Moon, recorded by Amos Pitsch, feels like a breakthrough for a band that’s long balanced chaos and clarity.

Pitsch and Hotline TNT’s frontman Will Anderson – both originally from Wisconsin – bring a sense of familiarity and focus to the sessions, and with Anderson now joined by a full band, the record pushes their sound into sharper focus without losing the fuzzed-out charm that’s defined their earlier work. It’s a shoegaze record at heart, but one that’s been cracked open, letting in slacker rock wit, power-pop melody, and moments of real emotional vulnerability.

The album kicks off with a slow-burning opener, “Was I Wrong?” where a minute and a half of tension builds before the drums finally land. It’s a sonic statement: shimmering acoustics and ripping solos that nod to The Swirlies, paired with lyrics that hit like a smirking gut punch – “…your bank account overdrawn.”

That emotional bluntness continues on “The Scene,” the album’s heaviest track. This tune was found at a dead end; Anderson was stuck trying to make another demo work, gave up on it, and ended up writing “The Scene” instead.  Its core is a pleading, pained lyric – “Maxine, if you really loved me, make a scene” – but it gives you a moment to breathe with a piano bridge that briefly clears the distortion before it all crashes back in.

There’s a strong sense of contrast running throughout the record – both in the production and in Anderson’s delivery.

Tracks like “Transition Lens” and “Break Right” lean into mood and texture, layering ‘80s synths and abstract percussion in a way that feels somewhere between Alex G and memory static.

Then they give us songs like “Julia’s War” or “Candle,” which feel effortlessly catchy, almost like Blink-182 tracked through a Ride pedalboard. Even the most sentimental lyrics – “they don’t hold a candle to you” – are delivered so offhandedly that they feel believable. Anderson’s casual honesty is part of what makes the whole record so affecting.

Tread the water
I won’t make you break the law
Stay on the call
’Til you come over
Why can’t you tell me why?

It’s a long way to climb
We got so close to it
Try to hide all the times
You like it more than you admit

Raspberry Moon never feels bogged down, despite its emotional weight.

There is a break in the moodiness where a streak of light comes through. Its strong undercurrent of hope tells us that, even though things sometimes suck, it’s okay to strive for something better. Some tracks are soaked in delay and swirl, while others feel like they were tracked live in someone’s basement. It’s raw in the right ways.

With a full U.S. headlining tour around the corner, Hotline TNT sound like a band hitting their stride – loud, scrappy, and dialed in.

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 © Graham Tolbert

Raspberry Moon

an album by Hotline TNT