Review: Framing Hanley - do you feel guilty being okay?
Artist: Framing Hanley
Album: do you feel guilty being okay?
Label: Independent
If you were around in the late 2000's, you're surely no stranger to Nashville's Framing Hanley. After all, their cover of Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" was on everyone's playlist at the time. What you might not know, though, is that they had a pretty lucrative musical career outside of that. Their album, A Promise to Burn, was a huge success, hitting #59 on the Billboard 200 and #9 on the Alternative Albums chart. Even more impressive, their fan-funded, third studio album, The Sum of Who We Are, peaked at #79. The aforementioned "Lollipop" was certified Gold in 2009, selling 500,000 copies. Their 2007 hit, "Hear Me Now" also had a really great run on commercial radio. Speaking of "Hear Me Now," the band created an updated "Redux" version of the song, which features a very special guest, who some of you may not have expected. I'm talking, of course, about Jeff Hardy (WWE/WWF Fame), who is the vocalist for his own project, Peroxwhy?Gen and, while it didn't make an appearance on this album, I feel like it would have made a perfect bonus track. The updated version of the song was created to celebrate the track's release and Jeff Hardy discovered the band through that very track, so it's a cool homage to a piece of history in both ways. In 2015, the band announced an official hiatus, with no plans to return. However, after years of speculation and fan-driven response, in 2019 they began to make their return. Finally, in the midst of the pandemic, they dropped their underrated, underappreciated album Envy. While it didn't receive any wide critical acclaim, it was clear they had a message to get across and that was that they weren't letting anything stop them. After the pandemic halted their release tour for that album, they finally returned to the stage on June 21st, 2021 and it was clear that they still had a lot to say. Despite many doubts and naysayers, they have finally returned with a brand new, full-length album. Their 5th studio album, aptly-titled do you feel guilty being okay? is a testament to why they remain a powerful force in the rock scene.
Kicking off the album is the electrifying "Gimme Gimme," which also served as the lead single for the album. This song begins with a faded-in intro, before re-introducing the listener to the familiar cadence of Kenneth Nixon's voice. This song gives intensity, a catchy chorus and an emotional story-line. The narrative set here is that of a toxic relationship and one side finally waking up to it, but can't get away because they love the feeling. The bridge breaks the music into a clean, electric guitar melody and a softer vocal and a subtle, trap-like drum beat. This song sounds like it would be a crowd favorite and really begins to paint an introspective look into the things that Nixon has gone through.
One of the highlight tracks of the album, "The Reckoning" was released before the album was announced. This song has that playful intensity, vitriol and emotion that we've all come to expect from this band. In many ways, this is the closest you'll get to their sound from A Promise to Burn and reminds you why this band blew up in the first place. "Snake eyes yea you're a high roller//I am the devil on your shoulder//You cannot run from me//I am the reckoning" Nixon sings, with a sly smirk on his face. I will say, the one surprise I found about this particular song is that we're getting screams from Nixon... in 2026. I don't remember a single screamed lyric on Envy and nothing since then, so hearing that really took me back to the first time I heard "You Stupid Girl" and "Hear Me Now." It's a nice callback to that shift we saw from a post-grunge era sound to the post-hardcore sound that they evolved into.
What I never expected (and had no notion of prior to the album release) was a sequel to one of A Promise to Burn's sleeper- hits, "Photographs and Gasoline." But, even nearly 20 years later, this song hits just as hard, emotionally and musically, as its predecessor. The original video was recorded during the making of A Promise to Burn and shows the band in the recording studio. The "Mean It (Photographs & Gasoline Pt. 2)" video, however, is much more of a traditional, albeit extremely trippy, performance video. It's interesting because it doesn't build the exact same way as the original but it definitely seems to pick up where the story left off. This song is a lot more musically-intense and even has a theatrical quality to it. Especially paired with the acting in the video itself. The video shows Nixon, the band and a female character thrown into multiple different picture frames, twisting and turning into different narratives. It's a song about taking accountability for the hurt one has caused in a relationship and realizing that, for the better, it has reached its end. It's a reminder that we are all human and make mistakes, but as long as we take accountability, we can stand tall against them and any demons that may come our way. It also seems like it may allude to domestic violence, through the lyrical content but that's just one interpretation.
Perhaps one of the most powerful, and poignant, tracks on the album is the one that Nixon wrote as an ode to his life as a father. It's called "Call My Name (KLZS)," which alludes to the initials of his children. This song begins with a ballad-like structure and kicks into a beautiful, soaring chorus. Couple all of this with a beautiful, orchestral arrangement underlying the remainder of the track and it is enough to move the listener to tears. This song is a reminder to his children that, no matter the cost, he will protect, love and provide for them and that, no matter what, they can call his name and he will be there.
If you wanted to hear what an 80s-tinged Framing Hanley would sound like, you can dive into "Sweet Tooth (Lovely)." A few moments into the track and you're instantly transported to the past, complete with synths and keyboard. The low-end is very prevalent in this track, as well. The song progresses into synthwave as it goes into the second verse. This is the type of track you can put on, lose yourself to or a feel-good cruise with the top down.
The final track, "POOR lil ME" begins with a soft, slow acoustic guitar melody. This song is a message against the prevalence of technology, readily available to anyone, rather than being able to go outside and enjoy life. It's about how life has become so secluded and how we've become desensitized to things that, in the past, would have terrified us. It's about the state of the world, society and the lack of attention from a higher power. This song couldn't have been placed more perfectly because they way it builds, truly makes it feel grandiose and closes it out beautifully.
Overall, this is undoubtedly Framing Hanley showing us that they've got plenty left in the tank. Even if this happens to be their final bow, they're going out on some of the best material they've ever written. This is Nixon baring his soul in a way that he's never done before. It's a declaration that, despite the trials and tribulations he's endured, he's done hiding behind the mask of someone everyone else wishes him to be. This is Framing Hanley, as they were always intended to be. While much of this album will appeal to the nostalgia of the sound that made them famous, it's also unyielding and unapologetic in the level of experimentation that it contains. do you feel guilty being okay? might be one of the best albums of 2026 and they've, once again, raised the bar for their genre. What's next? Only time will tell but do yourselves a favor and check out a couple videos below and then go out and stream or buy do you feel guilty being okay? now!