Raspberry Moon by Hotline TNT

Hotline TNT Raspberry Moon

76
ChoruScore
16 reviews
Jun 20, 2025
Release Date
NOVUM
Label

Hotline TNT's Raspberry Moon stakes a persuasive claim as the band's most collaborative and arena-minded statement yet, earning favorable notice for its blend of 90s grunge revival, shoegaze textures, and melodic hookcraft. Across professional reviews, critics point to the record's emotional transparency and layered guitars as the engine that turns compact songcraft into memorable moments, and the consensus suggests the album mostly succeeds at balancing fuzz and tunefulness.

The critical consensus, reflected in a 76.06/100 score across 16 professional reviews, repeatedly highlights standout tracks that define the record's strengths. Reviewers consistently praise “Julia's War” and “Break Right” for singalong choruses and arena-ready hooks, while “The Scene” (also cited as “Scene”), “Was I Wrong?” and “Candle” are singled out for their blend of catharsis and guitar virtuosity. Critics note themes of earnestness, Midwestern wistfulness, romance and hope, and a shift from solo project intimacy to fuller band cohesion; production choices such as cleaner drums and textured reverb let melody surface from noise, making the best songs on Raspberry Moon feel immediate.

While most reviews celebrate the record's melodic gains and sonic expansion, some critics register unevenness - a few mid-album moments land less forcefully, and debates about versatility versus cohesion recur - yet the prevailing narrative frames the collection as a confident step forward. For readers wondering whether Raspberry Moon is good or what the best songs are, the critics' verdict points toward its standout singles and guitar-driven highlights as the album's most rewarding offerings. Explore the full reviews below to hear why professional reviewers name these tracks as the record's centerpieces.

Critics' Top Tracks

The standout songs that made critics take notice

1

general guitar work

1 mention

"His immaculate guitar-layering and pedal mastery present Schrodinger’s guitars,"
The Line of Best Fit
2

Scene

1 mention

"The first, "Scene", features layers of guitars and arena-ready drums"
Glide Magazine
3

Julia's War

9 mentions

"From the cathartic harmonies of ‘Julia’s War’"
Clash Music
His immaculate guitar-layering and pedal mastery present Schrodinger’s guitars,
T
The Line of Best Fit
about "general guitar work"
Read full review
1 mention
93% sentiment

Track Ratings

How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.

View:
1

tarot ○ ambient cards

0 mentions
06:32
2

elmas izmirli deniz benim herif ◐ ambient sea

0 mentions
06:32
3

depresso fortunato ∽ ambient blues

0 mentions
06:34
4

не расслабляйся ⬡ ambient tension

0 mentions
06:34
5

ginevra ◯ ambient mist

1 mention
100
03:44
6

love yourself! ▽ ambient self

0 mentions
06:32
7

veterano ⟐ ambient memories

1 mention
5
06:34
8

i just wasn't made for these times ◊ ambient isolation

2 mentions
35
05:52

What Critics Are Saying

Deep insights from 17 critics who reviewed this album

Consequence logo

Consequence

Unknown
Oct 1, 2025
83

Critic's Take

As part of Consequence's staff picks, Hotline TNT's Raspberry Moon arrives as a surprising, quietly assured contender, one of those records you keep returning to. The reviewer's tone is warm and admiring, spotlighting the album among June 2025 favorites and implying that tracks like “i just wasn't made for these times ” and “veterano” stick the landing. It reads like praise passed along in conversation - enthusiastic but measured - and positions the best songs as subtle, immersive wins that reward repeated listens.

Key Points

  • The best song rewards repeated listens with immersive, subtle qualities that anchor the album.
  • The album's core strength is being a quietly assured contender that keeps drawing staff picks back for more.

Themes

staff picks monthly favorites emerging contenders

Critic's Take

After breaking through with Cartwheel, Hotline TNT return with Raspberry Moon, a brighter, hook-forward record where the best songs - notably “Break Right” and “Julia’s War” - show the band embracing pop-smarts without losing shoegaze atmosphere. Patrick Gill’s voice here is measured but impressed, noting how the full-band dynamic yields immediacy and crisp arrangements that reward early listens. The review highlights “Break Right” as a clear standout and praises “Julia’s War” for its singalong chorus, suggesting these are among the best tracks on Raspberry Moon. Overall, the record trades some novelty for sophistication, and its direct rockers are where the album truly clicks.

Key Points

  • “Break Right” is best for its status as a clear standout and its blend of Silversun Pickups and Metric influences.
  • The album’s core strengths are crisp, hooky arrangements, brighter sonic palette, and the vibrancy of a full-band effort.

Critic's Take

In their characteristically trenchant voice the reviewer argues that Hotline TNT's Raspberry Moon finds its best moments where noise and song collide, naming tracks like “tarot ◌ ambient cards” and “ginevra ◯ ambient mist” as clearest examples of the band rethinking shoegaze. The piece repeatedly praises how the band balances fuzz and melody, making the best songs on Raspberry Moon feel both nostalgic and freshly conceived. The reviewer's tone is measured but admiring, pointing to those songs as the record's emotional and sonic center. Overall, the narrative frames the best tracks as proof that Hotline TNT have broadened their palette without losing their signature bite.

Key Points

  • The best song is powerful because it fuses noise and melody into a convincing new direction for the band.
  • The album's core strengths are its balance of distortion and tunefulness and its redefinition of genre expectations.

Themes

distortion vs melody nostalgia genre redefinition

Critic's Take

Hotline TNT's Raspberry Moon finds its best moments in songs like “Letter to Heaven” and the single “Candle”, where melody and shoegaze momentum meet in ways that feel both familiar and forward-looking. Carlo Thomas writes in a measured, comparative voice, noting how the first half coheres with powerful riffs and emotive vocals while the second half reveals softer, more expansive turns - this makes the best tracks on Raspberry Moon stand out as exemplars of the band's strengths. The reviewer highlights the bandcraft on “Break Right” and the melodic lineage linking “Letter to Heaven” to earlier work, framing these as the songs that define the album's promise.

Key Points

  • “Letter to Heaven” best showcases Anderson's knack for melody and acts as a clear standout.
  • The album's strengths are cohesive shoegaze momentum, strong melodies, and successful collaboration expanding the band's sound.

Themes

shoegaze momentum melody and nostalgia band collaboration vs solo intent sonic expansion

Critic's Take

Hotline TNT's Raspberry Moon is presented as a collection of gems, where the best songs - notably “Break Right” and “Julia's War” - showcase immaculate production and earworm hooks. The reviewer revels in the record's contrasts, praising the headbanging stomp of “The Scene” alongside the tender intimacy of “Candle” and acoustic warmth of “Lawnmower”. That balance of raw ‘90s energy and plaintive, melodic power-pop is why queries about the best tracks on Raspberry Moon land firmly on these standout moments. Overall, the tone is celebratory and emphatic: this may be the best shoegaze power-pop record you'll hear this year.

Key Points

  • “Break Right” stands out for its immaculate production, driving rhythm, and unforgettable guitar riff.
  • The album's core strengths are its balance of shoegaze and power-pop, strong production, and a mix of explosive and tender moments.

Themes

shoegaze power pop band collaboration melancholy and catharsis dynamic production
79

Critic's Take

On Hotline TNT’s Raspberry Moon, Sue Park hears an expansion from grit to arena-sized gleam, and the best songs - notably “Was I Wrong?” and “Break Right” - show why. Park writes with evident glee about the band’s clearest vocals and blistering guitar solo on “Was I Wrong?”, and she singles out “Break Right” as a standout despite an awkward line, which only proves how catchy these tracks are. The review frames the album’s best tracks as muscular, hook-heavy anthems that let fuzz be an accent rather than a mask. Ultimately, the critic positions these top songs as the reason Raspberry Moon feels bigger, bolder, and more assured.

Key Points

  • The best song, notably “Was I Wrong?”, is the album's showpiece for clearer vocals and a blistering solo that pushes the band into arena territory.
  • Raspberry Moon's core strengths are bigger, hook-heavy songwriting and judicious shoegaze texture that foregrounds each instrument and earnest lyricism.

Themes

shoegaze revival arena-ready sound catchy hooks lyrical brevity earnestness

Critic's Take

Hotline TNT's Raspberry Moon finds Will Anderson less morose and the band more present, which makes the best tracks stand out: “Break Right” breathes with happy/sad melodies, “Lawnmower” is practically unplugged and utterly lovely, and “Julia’s War” shows Anderson's mastery of dynamics. The record keeps the trademark walls of fuzz but gains space and sophistication, so searches for the best songs on Raspberry Moon will often point to those three pieces. The result is an album where collaboration tempers gloom and allows tune to surface from the noise.

Key Points

  • The best song(s) (notably "Break Right") succeed because band presence creates space for melodies to breathe.
  • The album's core strengths are collaborative energy, dynamic control between noise and tune, and refined songwriting.

Themes

collaboration noise-pop fusion dynamics between acoustic and distorted guitars emotional shift due to romance

Critic's Take

Hotline TNT's Raspberry Moon finds its best songs in the record's bold openers and its tender ballads, with tracks like “Was I Wrong” and “Lawnmower” standing out. The reviewer's voice revels in the contrast between blistering, THX-like crescendos and stripped-back acoustic sorrow, arguing that the album's stacked guitars and newfound live drums make these songs the record's high points. The writing emphasizes that the first three tracks bleed together as a cinematic package while songs such as “Lawnmower” and “Dance the Night Away” provide welcome intimacy. Overall, the record is framed as Hotline TNT's cleanest, most self-assured collection yet, where hope and heartbreak coexist compellingly.

Key Points

  • “Was I Wrong” is best because its blistering, cinematic crescendo and roaring opening frame the album compellingly.
  • The album’s core strengths are its clean, expertly stacked guitars, newfound live drums, and a balance of hopeful and melancholic songwriting.

Themes

growth from DIY to fuller band sound layered guitars and shoegaze intensity romance and hope heartbreak and vulnerability cleaner production with live drums

Critic's Take

Hotline TNT sound buoyant and defiant on Raspberry Moon, where the best songs like “The Scene” and “Julia's War” marry harsh distortion with unexpected tenderness. The reviewer latches onto “The Scene” as the album's epicentre, its thunderous riff and joyful piano making it one of the best tracks on Raspberry Moon. Elsewhere, the cathartic harmonies of “Julia's War” and the raw romance of “Candle” mark high points, giving the record its gritty optimism and emotional heft. The voice throughout is admiring and keen-eyed, arguing that this first collective recording shows increased weight and intricacy in the songwriting and arrangements.

Key Points

  • The Scene is the standout for its thunderous riff and joyful piano that epitomise the record.
  • The album's core strength is its blend of gritty garage fuzz and emotive, hopeful songwriting amplified by collective performance and production finesse.

Themes

hope optimism garage rock fuzz emotive instrumentation collective songwriting

Critic's Take

Hotline TNT sound like they dug into the 90s and came out with a brighter, arena-ready set on Raspberry Moon, and the best tracks - “Julia’s War” and “Scene” - make that case plainly. The reviewer keeps returning to the band’s layered, twinkling guitars and soaring harmonies as the reasons these songs stand out, calling the arrangements dynamite and polished. There is a consistent praise for producer Amos Pitsch and the small instrumental touches that lift cuts like “Break Right” and “Where U Been?” into something more than nostalgic pastiche. Overall, the best songs on Raspberry Moon are the ones that marry big hooks with shimmering guitar textures, and the record rewards repeated listens.

Key Points

  • The best song is "Julia’s War" because it is described as the most polished and arena-ready with soaring harmonies.
  • The album’s core strengths are layered, twinkling guitars, strong production touches, and arena-sized hooks.

Themes

90s grunge revival arena-ready hooks textured guitars band cohesion

Critic's Take

Hotline TNT keeps a steady hand on Raspberry Moon, where the best songs - notably “Candle” and “The Scene” - trade raw guitar muscle for big, enveloping atmosphere. Maplethorpe writes with a clear fondness for guitar lines, praising the way tracks like “Candle” push intensity while “Break Right” offers delicate respite. The review balances admiration and measured critique, highlighting versatility that never feels scattered and celebrating the album's knack for keeping similar moods feeling fresh. Ultimately, the critic positions these standout tracks as the record's most immediate rewards, recommending Raspberry Moon to fans of great guitar music and heavy atmospheres.

Key Points

  • The best song, notably "Candle", is best for its full-bodied distortion and relentless guitar intensity.
  • The album’s core strengths are guitar-led arrangements and immersive atmospheres that maintain cohesion while showing subtle versatility.

Themes

guitar-driven arrangements atmosphere midwestern emo versatility vs cohesion

Critic's Take

The best songs on Raspberry Moon are where Hotline TNT’s knack for understated romantics meets full-band punch, and you hear it most clearly in “Lawnmower” and “Dance the Night Away”. Noah Barker writes like he can feel the air around these tracks - guitar heroics are given room to breathe alongside delicate balladry, which is why listeners asking "best tracks on Raspberry Moon" will be pointed to those late-record beauties. The record’s virtues are simple: immaculate guitar layering, a newfound studio dynamism, and an ability to make loud-quiet contrasts land like cinematic tides. This is Hotline TNT at their most generous, a trust fall that lands with friends waiting on the other side.

Key Points

  • The best song moments are the late-record tracks like "Lawnmower" because they pair crisp production with delicate melody.
  • The album’s core strengths are immaculate guitar layering, full-band dynamism, and a talent for understated romantic shoegaze.

Themes

shoegaze revival band dynamics guitar virtuosity nostalgia melodic contrasts

Critic's Take

Hotline TNT’s Raspberry Moon keeps turning the best songs toward a sweet, wistful horizon, with tracks like “Julia’s War” and “Letter to Heaven” standing out for their drolly heartbreaking earnestness. Will Hermes hears a Nineties redux—Dinosaur Jr. and Cocteau Twins wash—so the best tracks on Raspberry Moon are those that marry noisy guitars with tuneful Midwestern melancholy. The record’s 30 near-perfect minutes make songs such as “Julia’s War” feel like centerpieces, while quieter moments like “Lawnmower” deepen the emotional core. Overall, the album’s strongest moments are its melodic hooks framed by shimmering, oceanic guitar tones.

Key Points

  • “Julia’s War” is best because it is labeled the magnificent lead single and peaks with wistful, memorable lyrics.
  • The album’s core strengths are melodic tunefulness paired with shoegaze-tinged guitar noise and Midwestern wistfulness.

Themes

nostalgia 90s revival Midwestern wistfulness shoegaze and guitar noise band cohesion vs solo project

Critic's Take

Hotline TNT’s Raspberry Moon frequently shines brightest on the opening trio, where “Was I Wrong”, “The Scene” and “Letter to Heaven” foreground new band textures and lyrical vulnerability. Millie Temperton praises how “Was I Wrong” builds into a heartbroken lament and how “The Scene” buries piano under shoegaze for real momentum, making these the best tracks on Raspberry Moon. She concedes that mid-album moments like “Candle” and “Dance the Night Away” aim for earnestness but land awkwardly, which is why listeners searching for the best songs on Raspberry Moon should start with those first three.

Key Points

  • The opening tracks are best because they showcase full-band dynamics, emotional guitar walls and stronger songwriting.
  • The album’s core strengths are increased lyrical vulnerability and richer, more cohesive full-band textures despite some uneven second-half moments.

Themes

friendship love band collaboration vulnerability shoegaze textures

Critic's Take

Hotline TNT's Raspberry Moon pivots from solitary project to communal triumph, and the review makes clear the best tracks are the ones that wear that generosity on their sleeves - notably “Was I Wrong?” and “Candle”. The reviewer savours the album's towering wall of guitars and fuzzed hooks, praising mini-epics like “Was I Wrong?” for marrying southern twang to impassioned pleas. They single out “Candle” as saccharine on paper but rendered moving by Anderson's treacle-slow delivery, making its elongated lines unexpectedly heart-warming. Overall the tone is admiring and affectionate, pitching Raspberry Moon as the project's fullest, most emotionally transparent record yet.

Key Points

  • The best song, “Was I Wrong?”, is best for its towering guitars, southern twang and emotional mini-epic scope.
  • The album's core strengths are communal warmth, emotional transparency, and pervasive shoegaze-tinged guitar hooks.

Themes

community emotional transparency shoegaze guitars and reverb hooks/fuzz