Review

After fourteen years spent crafting anthems with 5 Seconds of Summer, Calum Hood has finally stepped out from behind the collective shadow to present his most personal offering yet. ORDER chaos ORDER arrives not as a radical departure from his day job, but as an intimate conversation with his own psyche—one that reveals layers of complexity previously hidden beneath the polished sheen of stadium pop-rock. The album's title proves more than mere wordplay; it's a philosophical framework that Hood wields with surprising sophistication. From the opening moments of "Don't Forget You Love Me," where Ian Curtis-inspired vocals float over deceptively bright instrumentation, the Australian bassist establishes a duality that runs throughout the record's ten tracks. "Crying out my eyes / And I'm sitting there wondering / If I wanna be alive," he intones with genuine desperation, his voice carrying the weight of someone who's spent considerable time examining the darker corners of his mind. What's immediately striking is Hood's willingness to embrace vulnerability without sacrificing musical sophistication. "Call Me When You Know Better" pairs jittery rhythms with chunky synth work that wouldn't sound out of place in an '80s arcade, yet the lyrical content cuts deeper than nostalgia. "I talk a lot to drown my tears," becomes both confession and coping mechanism, delivered with the kind of raw honesty that suggests years of therapy sessions distilled into three-minute pop songs. The album's most compelling moments arrive when Hood allows himself to drift into dreamier territories. "Sunsetter" represents a bold experiment that melds traditional pop structures with the layered textures of shoegaze—an unexpected choice that pays dividends. Here, Hood demonstrates an understanding of sonic space that suggests he's been listening to more than just radio-friendly rock. The track builds with the kind of patient dynamics that recall Slowdive's quieter moments, while maintaining enough melodic hooks to satisfy those seeking immediate gratification. "All My Affection" continues this exploration of atmospheric pop, trading the urgency of the album's opening for something more tactile and contemplative. Hood's vocals become more intimate, almost whispered, as if he's sharing secrets with the listener rather than performing for them. It's a marked departure from the projected confidence required of his main gig, and all the more effective for it. The production, handled with restraint and intelligence, never overwhelms Hood's vocals or the songs' emotional core. There's a lived-in quality to the arrangements that suggests genuine collaboration rather than studio polish for its own sake. The drums breathe, the guitars ring out with purpose, and the synthesizers add colour without dominating the mix. Perhaps most impressively, Hood manages to craft a cohesive statement without falling into the trap of over-conceptualising. The album flows naturally from track to track, each song feeling like a necessary component of a larger emotional journey. By the time closer "Three Of Swords" arrives with its beautiful crescendo, the listener has been taken through a complete emotional cycle—from despair to hope, from chaos to something approaching order. The inevitable comparison to his bandmates' solo ventures is instructive. While Luke Hemmings explored indie-pop dreaminess and Ashton Irwin chased '80s nostalgia, Hood has carved out territory that feels distinctly his own. There's a weight to these songs that suggests real stakes, real consequences, real growth. ORDER chaos ORDER succeeds as both artistic statement and personal catharsis. It's the sound of a musician coming to terms with his own complexity, using melody and rhythm as tools for understanding rather than mere entertainment. Hood has created something that stands apart from his collective work while adding new dimensions to our understanding of what he's capable of as an artist. In a landscape cluttered with solo projects that feel more like contractual obligations than artistic necessities, ORDER chaos ORDER arrives as a genuinely compelling argument for Hood's individual voice. It's messy in all the right ways, polished where it needs to be, and honest to a fault. Most importantly, it leaves you wanting to hear what comes next. **Key Tracks:** "Don't Forget You Love Me," "Sunsetter," "All My Affection," "Three Of Swords" **For Fans Of:** The Maine, EKKSTACY, Luke Hemmings, early Radiohead **Available Now:** EMI Records