Hostage Calm has come a long way since they started out as a hardcore band. On their latest album, “Please Calm Down”, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any mosh-inducing parts. Instead they take you on a trip with plenty of punkrock swagger and pop sensibilities.

Whether it’s the anti-war rally that is “Impossible!”, the swing-infused “May Love Prevail” or the largely a capella “Patriot”, Hostage Calm always sounds like Hostage Calm thanks to the high energy level and Chris Martin’s vocals. And by the time the strings and horns-laden ballad that is “The M Word” comes around, they’ll already have won you over.