Billy Corgan claims that Kill Hannah is the future of the Chicago modern rock scene and, if he’s right, that’s both a cause for celebration and sadness. There’s a marked difference between a group knowing, respecting, and honoring the music history that preceded them and the same group piggybacking on popular styles, and Kill Hannah regularly find themselves on the wrong side of that divide. The track “Believer” makes a convincing argument for the band as a working-class outfit; the thing is, they should be arguing that with their music, not with heartfelt pleas, and that is where Until There’s Nothing Left Of Us ultimately fails. Much of the album reeks of modern rock mimicry, recycled Euro-disco beats, and stale drum kicks that sound like they were taken from the mid-’90s. More than half the tracks on the album do little if anything to separate Kill Hannah from the pack, making the album quite a step backward from their major label debut For Never And Ever. Perhaps part of the perceived difference is that, since their debut and subsequent (seemingly endless) two-year tour, the likes of Fall Out Boy, the Killers, Panic! At The Disco have flooded the market, making Kill Hannah’s contribution seem less impressive. Lead single “Lips Like Morphine” finds the band at their strongest, as it’s one of the few moments on the album where they seem to have their own voice. They’re not aping the Killers or All-American Rejects at that point, but their own glam-electro-rock fusion comes together in an über-slick way that makes one want for their debut.
Since 2001, we've brought you uncompromising, candid takes on the world of film, music, television, video games, theater, and more. Independently owned and operated publications like Slant have been hit hard in recent years, but we’re committed to keeping our content free and accessible—meaning no paywalls or fees.
If you like what we do, please consider subscribing to our Patreon or making a donation.
