One of the many perks of living on the West Coast is only have to wait until 9pm for new music to hit streaming, I check the time & it’s 8:50pm. “Ten more minutes,” I tell myself as I continue the countdown to the release of Calum Hood’s debut solo album “ORDER chaos ORDER.“
As I distract myself & it’s 8:57pm now, with the excitement continuing to build I check Hood’s socials. Posted over a photo of himself a link reads, “9pm pst” leading users to a YouTube countdown for his “Sunsetter” visual. Now I’m set with a fangirl dilemma: Do I watch the visual first, or do I run through the album for a full first listen THEN watch the visual? Decisions, decisions. It’s now officially 9:00pm.
Since I’ll finally have it in full, I decide to listen to the project first. After hearing a handful of snippets, the visuals will be more enjoyable anyway. Fangirl math! The first listen begins…
Hood’s debut solo single “Don’t Forget You Love Me” is the opening track. With fans having had the single since April of this year, it’s still an essential part of the album that shouldn’t be skipped. With it being the first window into the heart & soul of Hood as a solo artist, it’s that much more enjoyable now that the words are memorized to echo through the ears.
When Calum announced he was to release music as a solo artist, it wasn’t that much of a surprise after putting the pieces together. For one, most fans thought he was “unemployed” exploring his new era of tarot readings, renaissance fairs, & whatever else his heart desired to post for all to see. With being 1/4 of 5 Seconds of Summer, creating, writing, & seeing his bandmates start their solo careers it was truly only a matter of time before Hood followed in their footsteps.
Fans of the band had their favorites & Hood fans would surely be supportive, nonetheless. “Growing up, the whole reason I wanted to do music was so that I could write songs. It was important to pay homage to that side of my younger self,” Hood says.
“Call Me When You Know Better” was the second single to be released that holds its place at track number two on the album. With a mix of organic & digital sounds, it gives listeners a unique sonic feel further proving that this in fact a version of Calum Hood that we have yet to fully know. The track is a love letter in the form of an apology, he explains further through lyrics, “I never should’ve hurt you/ I talk a lot to drown my tears.’
Fans had the chance to hear a 45 second or so snippet of “Sweetdreams” via TikTok before the album was released. The ta-da-ta-da‘s of Hood’s voice begin from afar & slowly arrive front & center for the listener. Its pleasant beginning makes for a perfect teen movie scene (Calum, I have a music video idea. Have your people reach out to my people, aka me), as the song carries on Hood sounds like he’s close yet so far away, in a dream like state almost, hence the title I assume. “Sweet dreams don’t leave me for the rest of my life…”
Hood spoke to Rolling Stone about the album & broke down every song with “I Wanted To Stay” gaining the most attention online via fans, as it was written for his dog Duke that had passed away. As if his voice wasn’t already pulling the heartstrings of fans, this track was going to be heavy.
Listeners are greeted with sweet humming before the bass fully comes into focus alongside Hood’s vocals. There seems to be a bit of purposeful distance from Hood & the listener. Giving the effect as if he’s reaching out to all who listen, yet it’s not enough to have us come together as one. The sense of longing lingers even after the song is over as I search to fill the emptiness that suddenly feels so loud. Amazing what emotions one can make others feel through music.
Halfway through the album now as “Sunsetter” begins to play. It quickly became a personal favorite after hearing the snippet alone, until later realizing I loved it in such a way for the wrong reasons. As I replayed the video on his Instagram the day it was posted, it registered that this was the Calum Hood I was expecting since the first single.
Being a fan of 5 Seconds of Summer, of course Hood had plenty of times to shine within the band through his vocals. Said vocals made him stand out to fans which allowed him to become a personal favorite to most. That version was the only version of Hood I knew after all, so of course that familiarity was what I was searching for & found within “Sunsetter.” Afterwards though, I was able to perceive him as Calum Hood the solo artist, not Calum Hood of 5 Seconds of Summer. Fangirl problems, go figure.
The visual for “Sunsetter” is straightforward with Hood as the main focus, of course. As the world around him spins, so do the colors as viewers are taken through a hillside as the letter he’s written is played. The delay on certain words in the first 30 seconds is one of my favorite parts, almost preparing one’s ears for the beautiful song that is to come.
The second longest song on the album is “All My Affection” which reminds me of giving in with a mixture of giving up which in a sense can mean the same thing. Hood’s vocals alongside the guitar give one hope but also courage to let go, it’s almost calling for balance knowing that something or someone will hurt in the end. That’s how I interrupted it, anyway. One of my favorite songs on the project, replay value to the max.
Listeners are greeted with what I can only describe as a whirlwind of Hood’s thoughts. From voices in the distance to laughter, “Endless Ways” has a tone of familiarity as we’re welcomed with similar digital sounds from the beginning of the album. The song gives a sense of déjà vu; from the lyrics stating I’ve been here before to the sound that Hood introduced us to for his debut single. It’s a smart move whether it was planned that way or not, it simply fits.
Derived from a movie with from which this track got its name, “Streetwise” contains many emotions. Hood states via X (FKA Twitter), “There’s a scene where one boy is talking to a girl in an abandoned hotel. She’s professing her love to him, and he’s worrying about, everything else in his life. And she’s head over heels for him. I thought that was such a lovely fragment of time. I found it really inspiring and based it all around that one scene.”
The track brings forth emotions of being strung along yet reminiscing of those times with kindness in ones heart. Depending on how one interrupts it, it’s truly a sweet song.
As we near the end of the album, the layers of Hood continue to be pealed back. As he continues to prove throughout the album that men have emotions too, “Dark Circles” is just the same. As he sings ‘I cry again/ Don’t wanna get left behind/ And it’s too late to be starting over/ You’re already in my mind.‘ He speaks of a special someone that keeps him up at night, the proof is only the dark circles under his eyes. The growing pains of moving on, getting older, & the hurt of letting go even if it’s against what the heart wants. A song that can pull at the heartstrings of listeners no matter their age, the songwriter you are Mr. Hood.
The closer on the album as well as the longest track, “Three Of Swords” takes listeners to the edge of Hood’s mind as he asks questions that may haunt the ponderous lovers of the world. The baritone in his voice is heavy as he asks, “Do you wander back? Can you make it still? Are you coming home?” echoing through to listeners. It holds a lot of reflection, as nobody knew what the future would hold when he began this life journey.
It takes a lot of courage to do things alone, especially when one has been seen as one part of four for so many years. By hitting play on DFYLM back in April, a vulnerable & unknown version of Calum Hood was welcomed. As Hood strayed away from his norm by exploring distinct sounds, a variation of vocal tones, & painting scenes from every corner of his mind for the world to hear; “ORDER chaos ORDER” feels exceptional, especially as a debut album. I can only hope that the courage it took Calum Hood to begin this journey waters his creativity, confidence, & soul in more ways than one. Listen to “OCO” on all streaming platforms here.
Irene Guerrero | GigglesIrene.com 
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