Double HP by Balmour
Three years in the making, Double HP by Balmour is the sonic culmination of the good love and bad decisions we make in life. The Philadelphia native takes us on the journey along with a cast of talented friends to explore emotions with lyrics that are brutally honest and will make you feel like you’re not alone. There are a variety of sounds and styles that will keep you hooked for the entire album.
The connection between two Double Hp highlights, “IKYFM” and “Baggage,” showcases his ambitious songwriting. The former beams with the optimism and innocence of early romance, as Balmour nudges a woman to overcome her traumas from previous relationships to give their love a chance. But on “Baggage,” he begins to see that his own adoration isn’t enough to soften her heart. With somber verses and a hook that slyly pays homage to Erykah Badu, Balmour taps into the complexities that come with loving a traumatized partner: he has empathy for what she’s experienced, frustration that she’s taking it out on him, and wistfulness for the vulnerable, late-night conversations that made them fall in love in the first place.
On Double Hp, Balmour opts to be the “good guy” before taking on an antagonistic role, and eventually embraces the lesson: stop treating relationships like a game. “No one is the villain in their own story,” Balmour says. “Love is a full spectrum of emotions that people don’t necessarily touch on.” Thankfully, he’s up to the challenge.
