Song Review: AHOF – Run To You

While it’s important for any group to stretch their sound and try new things, there’s a certain point where a sonic shift completely abandons the identity that made that group fantastic to begin with. Such was the case with AHOF’s Sugar High, which repainted them as the kind of badass, chant-happy boy group that already exists in so many other places. From what I can tell, that song was maligned even by hardcore fans. Thankfully, this turned out to be a red herring for the group’s new album, which pairs them with frequent collaborator EL CAPITXN and flexes their musical strengths.

Title track Run To You boasts the anthemic rock touches of past songs, reconfiguring them into a brighter, more upbeat summer hit. Its shuffling percussion is interspersed with sharp EDM stabs and touches of synth, quickly developing a propulsive sound that maintains its drive throughout the entire track. As usual, the songwriting forgoes the truncated two-minute trends of the day and offers a more generous runtime. I would have loved to hear more dramatic peaks take full advantage of this sprawling soundscape, but that’s not in the cards this time.

Instead, Run To You anchors itself around a catchy (but repetitive) chorus that opts for brisk energy rather than dynamic drama. This makes it less appealing than previous title tracks, though the song’s breezy arrangement will likely play well in the long run. As far as redemption arcs go, they’ve successful erased the bad taste of Sugar High from my mouth. But at the same time, I get the sense that Run To You could be bolder, more explosive and more melodically memorable.

Grade: B