There are probably so many ways to describe a group like Hello Forever but calling them a psychedelically hipster art collective with all the nostalgia of a barbershop quartette might be the most accurate. At least, that’s what they’re latest single sounds like. “Anywhere is Everywhere” brings this unique blend of sounds together that takes listeners on a peaceful journey throughout the song.
The song starts off with each member creating the beat to the song with the snaps of their fingers. That, put together with the immediate harmonies and the soft nature of Samuel Joseph’s vocals, instantly set the tone for the song.
The lyrics also add to the upbeat feel. Joseph told The Ones To Watch that he wrote the song while visiting his mom’s house and sitting in his childhood bedroom. He calls the song “short and sweet” since it took about five minutes to write. He talks about it and the writing process as if everything fell into place just right and, ultimately, became a song about accepting yourself.
Joseph easily wrote a song about a difficult topic: self-acceptance. He also told The Ones To Watch “Self-doubt can be crushingly powerful. We’re all working with it all the time. So I kind of like the idea of this song taking that on with a bit of joy and letting it sound easy for a moment.”
“Anywhere Is Everywhere” does a great job of doing just that. The three-minute song transports you to a simple place. It easily sounds like something you’d listen to on a beach with friends and a cooler full of beers. The sun’s out and a few kids are off in the distance with their parents behind them. Those airy, California stereotype vibes are almost visible in this song’s sound.
And the music video only reinforced the Woodstock Festival feeling that Hello Forever gives off. It starts off with the group standing in front of a pink background which stands at the edge of a cliff. It overlooks the lush green world below and the horizon cuts through the sky beyond it. The scene pairs well with the overall sound of the song.
The members then go between scenes of snapping their fingers, dancing and looking into the camera as they sing, and paint against various backgrounds in the open natural space. It almost looks as if Hello Forever went hiking with all of their painting supplies, got inspired by the world around them, and painted what they felt.
Even the members of Hello Forever fit well into the overall feel of the video. The outfits are very casual, almost as if they were thrown together. It doesn’t look like they coordinated their looks, but each member did all choose something that looks comfortable, flowy, or non-restrictive. That even sounds like a description for “Anywhere is Everywhere” and its music video.
More of a playful side shows scenes throughout the video where each member gets hit in the face with paint. It only adds to the overall light-hearted aspects of the song and video. And they throw paint on each other in front of their own painted backgrounds. Everything about these parts of the video is so carefree and gives off an “I’m waking up today and decided what I was going to do with my life” feeling.
“Anywhere is Everywhere” is Hello Forever’s latest single for its debut album. Titled Whatever It Is will be released on January 31, 2020. Based on the other singles from Hello Forever, this album will give you a fresh take on that iconic 60s era of music that helped shape the sounds of today. Most of the popular music right now certainly doesn’t sound anything like this, but Hello Forever’s music does have its place in the world that can transcend generations.
Hello Forever’s sound is not forced, and the group doesn’t seem to be following any of today’s music trends. Comparisons to The Beatles are bound to happen. But Hello Forever doesn’t have the legendary look that The Beatles had. Although, it looks as though they’re not trying to be like anyone.