Upon release of the initial singles, I was extremely compelled to hear the rest of Hotline TNT's "Cartwheel," their debut on Third Man Records and third official release as a band. My feelings on "Cartwheel" are varied; while "Cartwheel" is poised to have lasting power, leaving a memorable impact that lingers even after the final notes fade away, the opening two tracks "Protocol" and "I Thought You'd Change" emerge as clear standouts. These songs are breathtaking, perhaps some of the strongest albums to be released in 2023 in the indie / shoegaze arena; the thoughtful lyrics meld beautifully with the guitar leads.

As the album continues, it blends together elements of shoegaze, fuzzy stoner rock, and the sound of euphoria in sweaty basement shows. Noisy guitars swirl over ambient and often buried vocals, where the listener yearns for a hook and is occasionally satisfied; songs like "BMX" and "Maxine" come to mind. Overall, the songs are solid and generally compelling, but the songs tend to fuzz together a bit; there's very little range or change in dynamics from one track to another.

I can imagine "Cartwheel" will be spinning for a few weeks to come, but it's the record you'll put on in the background on crisp wintry mornings, not the one you'll be blasting and singing along to or necessarily talking about in weeks to come.