B-Side Guys

While countless indie rock bands chase pristine production values, Boston veterans Hallelujah The Hills have doubled down on beautiful chaos with “Crush All Night”—a blistering three-minute manifesto of lo-fi perfection that arrived just yesterday. The track captures everything raw and vital about rock music while offering tantalizing hints of the band’s forthcoming 52-song quadruple album project, DECK.

What immediately distinguishes “Crush All Night” is its deliberate sonic disarray—gritty guitar tones collide with programmed drums in a carefully orchestrated collision that embodies what frontman Ryan H. Walsh has dubbed “Dirtbag Rock.” The production strikes a delicate balance between intentional roughness and meticulous arrangement, creating a soundscape that feels simultaneously improvised and inevitable.

This controlled recklessness provides the perfect backdrop for the vocal interplay between Walsh and guest contributor Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz. Their voices weave through the instrumental turbulence with surprising dexterity, Dupuis adding what Walsh accurately describes as an “otherworldly shimmer” to the composition. Her presence transforms what might have been merely energetic into something transcendent—a perfect musical partnership that challenges both artists to match the other’s intensity.

What’s particularly fascinating about “Crush All Night” is how it serves as just one facet of the band’s ambitious DECK project. After “Fake Flowers at Sunset”—a folk-disco hybrid featuring Cassie Berman—”Crush All Night” reveals just how expansive Hallelujah The Hills’ musical vision has become after nearly two decades of criminally underappreciated artistry. The contrasting nature of these first two singles suggests that each of the four albums will explore dramatically different territory, challenging listeners to follow the band through a comprehensive musical journey.

For a band that has consistently earned critical acclaim while remaining stubbornly under the commercial radar, “Crush All Night” feels paradoxically like both a statement of defiance and an open invitation. Having independently funded this massive project through Patreon support, Hallelujah The Hills have created something increasingly rare in today’s music landscape—art made on their own terms, unconstrained by industry expectations.

“Crush All Night” achieves the nearly impossible—capturing the reckless energy of youth through the lens of seasoned musical craftsmanship. It sounds exactly like “running red lights and smoking cigarettes inside a church” while demonstrating why, after nearly twenty years, Hallelujah The Hills remain essential architects of Boston’s indie rock legacy.