For those not in the know, the once young band called The Grownup Noise has finally begun to live up to its name!

The band formed in 2005 as a somewhat rare bird on the Boston rock scene. After a couple years and several sold-out local shows, the band of Paul Hansen, Adam Sankowski, Kyle Crane, and Katie Franich had arrived. The band quickly hit the road to LA and back several times, touring DIY in a full size veggie-oil powered van.

The bandmates will be quick to note that though the concept was high, the quality of life was… let’s say difficult. One of their famous veggie-van tour stories even made it into a book about famously bad tour stories.

The band celebrated success with high praise form outlets like the Onion AV Club and the Boston Globe and various song placements on MTV, NPR, Netflix, and award-winning independent films. Name dropping isn’t really the vibe anymore, but along the way the band also got to share the stage with some impressive names, including an official showcase at SXSW.

After 20 years and much lived experience the original line-up is back together. The band of Paul, Adam, Katie, and Kyle have just finished tracking their 6th album ‘No Straight Line in the Universe’. “This album feels different, like maybe our sound has finally bloomed”, songwriter Paul Hansen says as he admits the album is also his most personal.

Included is a poem by Blanch Marie, his great grandmother who died giving birth to Paul’s grandmother, and is the only known artist in his Hansen family history. The band set her words to music.

Simply put, this new album feels like an artistic reunion by old friends who have a lot to say to each other.

1. We Become Roses
2. See You In The Hall
3. Anxiety
4. Get Lost
5. Change Your Mind
6. Where’s K?
7. Day Moon
8. Plaything
9. Back To Me
10. Rabbit Hole
11. Us Fools

With The Grownup Noise having maintained and built on its fanbase from the time their debut released in 2007 through to now, those intervening musical years bringing forth a savvy combination of eccentric pop songs, natural talent and earnest determination, they open their brand new recording on the lushly sculpted We Become Roses and the jaunty alt-pop vibe of See You In The Hall and then we get free flowing Anxiety, the low key rocker Get Lost, before being graced with the light and breezy pop fare of Change Your Mind.

Up next is the lush storytelling that moves Where’s K? and then Katie takes lead vocals on the elegantly embracing Day Moon and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the melancholic 90’s-hued sound of Plaything, the gently robust Back To Me, the new set rounding out on the melodiously rhythmic Rabbit Hole, coming to an all-too-soon close on the wholesome sound of Us Fools.

The Grownup Noise @ Apple Music