No Straight Line In The Universe
Self-Released, 2026
9/10
Listen to No Straight Line In The Universe
The Boston outfit The Grownup Noise have been plugging away sporadically for 2+ decades now, and this 6th album sees the original members fleshing out songs about friendship, grief and resilience in the face of being middle aged.
“We Become Roses” starts with Paul Hansen’s smooth voice alongside Katie Franich’s warm cello, as a cozy indie-folk mood enters, and “See You In The Hall” follows with Kyle Crane’s punchy drums and Adam Sankowski’s playful bass that suits the driving melodies.
Further along, “Change Your Mind” is a brief but catchy bout of scrappy indie-rock that invites singing-along, while “Day Moon” has Franich handling vocals via the upbeat and rhythmic album highlight that’s elegant and adventurous.
“Rabbit Hole” and “Us Fools” exit the listen. The former is soulful and makes great use of Hansen’s sturdy guitar licks, and the latter blends orchestral and folk ideas into the harmonic and sophisticated finish.
An emotive and often cinematic effort, this is the first album in 10 years from this line up, and it’s a literate, relatable and very thoughtful set of songs that anyone who has confronted aging will enjoy immensely.
Travels well with: Yahtzee Brown- You Got This; Brian Mackey- Good Morning, Ireland