There is something unassuming about The Changing Tide, the new full-length album by Hello London. At first listen, it might seem like a straightforward indie rock record, but stay with it. Let the guitars swell, let the voice break, and let the lyrics settle in your chest like memories you forgot you were carrying. Before long, you realize this is not just another alternative album, but an honest, raw, and deeply affecting masterpiece that tackles all the senses. Hello London is the project of Buffalo-based songwriter James Froese. Working largely on his own, Froese has cultivated a sound rooted in the tradition of early 2000s emo and indie rock, yet elevated by a distinct sense of lyrical maturity and compositional control. With The Changing Tide, he offers an emotionally expansive and musically precise body of work suitable for even the pickiest music enthusiasts. Froese writes like someone trying to make sense of the world rather than perform for it. His music immediately earns your attention and that makes all the difference. His music is sincere, emotional, and instantly grabs you by the collar and refuses to let go long after the last notes and beats end.
This album does not try to reinvent the genre. It doesn’t need to. What it does instead is refine it, stripping away the excess and leaning into the essentials like melody, emotion, and honesty. The guitars shimmer and hum, the drums are patient but never passive, and the production is clean but not glossy, leaving space for the songs to breathe and grow. Froese’s fragile yet defiant vocal performance is the heartbeat of this record. He sings with the kind of earnestness that doesn’t fear vulnerability. There’s a noticeable weariness in his tone, the kind that only comes from lived experience. It isn’t dramatic but human, and that’s what makes it so moving. The title The Changing Tide is perfectly fitting. This is an album about transformation, not the kind marked by grand gestures, but the quiet shifts that define a life. The endings that don’t make headlines. The beginnings come softly, like morning light. Froese’s songwriting captures that nuanced emotional terrain with such grace. At times, the music recalls the best of early emo, the catharsis of Joshua, Jimmy Eat World, Rydell, or Come The Spring, and the haste of The Starting Line. But Hello London never sounds derivative. Froese uses those influences not as crutches but as compass points, guiding him toward his voice. And that voice is so convincing and strong that you’ll fall in love with this record after the first listen.
There’s also an emotional intelligence lurking around. These are songs written by someone who has taken the time to understand his own pain. Someone who knows that heartbreak doesn’t always scream. That growth isn’t always loud, it can be quiet, slow, and necessary. There is a calmness to the album, even in its most intense moments. Froese never rushes a song. He allows his ideas to unfold at their own pace. This patience gives the record a meditative quality. Each time, something new surfaces, a lyric you missed, a harmony you didn’t notice, a feeling you weren’t ready to name. The instrumentation is tight and tasteful. Its simplicity is elegant. Nothing is overdone. Every note, every rhythm, every texture feels intentional. Froese is not trying to impress you with his skills, though his skill is evident, but rather to connect with you. And he does it with such precision and finesse. The Changing Tide feels personal without ever slipping into self-indulgence. Froese writes with emotional clarity. He doesn’t over-explain. He trusts the listener to understand. He gives just enough, never too much, resulting in a deeply intimate and relatable collection of songs. This is the sound of someone looking inward without getting lost. Someone navigating memory, loss, uncertainty, and hope. Someone who knows that change is inevitable, and maybe even necessary. It’s the sound of holding on and letting go at the same time.
From scratch to finish, The Changing Tide moves with the flow of a well-told story. It builds and releases, it reflects and reframes, and it leaves space for silence. And in that space, something powerful happens, we hear ourselves. Froese’s songs mirror our struggles and longings. They remind us we’re not alone. There’s a sense of place in these songs, not geographically, but emotionally. A kind of weathered resilience. A warmth that pushes through the cold. It is worth noting how far Froese has come since the beginning of Hello London in 2021. With three EPs and a previous full-length under his belt, this latest release feels like the realization of a vision. He has found his voice, and it is clear, convincing, and full of depth. Froese has created a record that doesn’t shout for attention, but instead, quietly demands it. This is not an album that needs to be hyped to be heard. It will find its listeners and those listeners will hold it close because The Changing Tide is more than just a good album, it’s a companion you desperately need. Hello London is a doorway into someone’s inner world. A place where melodies carry memories, and lyrics turn pain into poetry. James Froese has crafted a record of rare sincerity, clarity, and heart. This album is not about spectacle, it is about substance, and that is why it matters. In its quiet way, The Changing Tide is one of the most emotionally vibrant records of the year. And it deserves to be heard, felt and remembered. Head to Hello London’s Bandcamp page for more information about ordering this gem on vinyl.
Thoughts Words Action 