{"product_id":"hobknobs-the-helmets-off-pre-order","title":"Hobknobs (The) - Helmets Off *Pre-Order","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRelease Date Friday 24th July\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAll pre-orders will be dispatched\/made ready for collection on that day.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"EN-GB\" style=\"font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Tahoma;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"OutlineElement Ltr SCXW129228526 BCX0\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Helmets Off”, the first album of The Hobknobs, will see the light of day on July 24th. The Hobknobs will release this full-length record themselves, with a special North-American release by 12XU.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Helmets Off” can be described as an honest attempt at honesty. Although all options are open at the moment of conception, the end result often remains bare. Instruments come in when they are needed, but the songs apparently don’t need that much at all. Every word and every strum sounds like it’s placed in exactly the right moment. Perhaps it is this bareness of the songs, that makes it feel as if The Hobknobs are speaking to the listener directly. It is clear that they don’t want anything to cloud this human interaction. An interaction that appears to come with a certain playfulness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYaël Dekker, whom you may also know as the singer of The Klittens, and Arie van Vliet, who used to spread his word through the band Lewsberg, were once described as loving misanthropes. Listening to “Helmets Off”, this description seems rather accurate. A consoling song like “The Mind” sounds haunting. Even words seem to have lost their meaning in “Dictionary”. Songs that seem cheerful and naive at first appear to be pleadings on second listen. And is “Enarmoured” a pro-war protest song? What war do they want to fight?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDekker and Van Vliet’s voices seem to know each other well, in a way that magnifies the songs on “Helmets Off” beyond their deceptive simplicity. Together with the minimal production by Jaap van der Velde, it makes that the album hits the sweet spot somewhere in the middle of ‘instantly familiar’ and ‘no one else sounds quite like this’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The Hobknobs make fragile, minimal songs with a surreal, philosophical bent. “Dictionary” sounds like the pencil sketch of a Velvet Underground song, the guitars trebly and luminous, a slackly shaken tambourine the only percussion”- Aquarium Drunkard\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTracklisting:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e1.The Mind\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e2.My Conditions\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e3.Around The Bend\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e4. Jennette McCurdy\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e5.Are You Looking For Something?\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e6.Dictionary\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e7.The Bowl\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e8. Fuel\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e9. The Tide\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e10.Used To It\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e11.The Extra Mile\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e12.Easier Listening\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e13. Enarmoured\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e14.Green Pasture\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThank you for looking at our listing, below are a few points to consider before making a purchase:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- All records we sell are Brand New - pre-orders will normally come sealed but if you are purchasing in stock items, please note the copy may have been unsealed for display in the shop. Please email straight after purchase to enquire if this is of importance to you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- Orders won't ship until all items are released, so keep this in mind when purchasing multiple pre-orders or a mix of in stock and pre-order items.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- The 'Product' page will show the most up to date info we have with regards to the item and its release date, but this information is subject to change so check in with us if you have any questions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- We unfortunately don't offer tax\/vat outside of the UK via the website so please keep in mind that when the items arrives in your country you may be liable to pay a further charge before delivery. (all UK orders the price you see is the price you will pay). Please also note that we are unable to adjust the declared value on items sold internationally.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Hobknobs (The)","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl LP","offer_id":55580706210168,"sku":"THK01LP","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD Album","offer_id":55580706242936,"sku":"THK01CD","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0348\/2704\/2955\/files\/unnamed_80940bbc-5b3b-4ae2-a66b-9767d306fdbe.jpg?v=1781271799","url":"https:\/\/www.crashrecords.co.uk\/products\/hobknobs-the-helmets-o%ef%ac%80-pre-order","provider":"Crash Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}