{{Infobox album
| Name
= Licorice and Hope
| Type
= Studio
| Artist
= [[Mental Hinges]]
| Cover
=
http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a335/Trevornater/?action=view&current=LicoriceandHope.jpg
| Released = April 1, 2012
| Recorded = April 2011 - April 2012
| Genre
= [[Pop punk]], [[Electropop]], [[Alternative]]
| Length
= 41:00 <br /> 58:43 <small>(Bonus Tracks)</small>
| Label
= [[Epitaph Records|Epitaph]]
| Producer = [[Matt Squire]]<br />[[Butch Walker]]<br />[[David Bendeth]]<br />[[S*A*M &
Sluggo]]<br />[[The-Dream]]
| Reviews =
| Last album = ''[[Out Your Face]]'' <br />(2011)
| This album = '''''Licorice and Hope'''''<br />(2012)
| Next album = ''[[Deviance]]''<br />(2013)
| Misc
= {{Singles
| Name
= Licorice and Hope
| Type
= Studio
| Single 1
= [[Izabella (Mental Hinges song)|Izabella]]
| Single 1 date = April 1, 2012
| Single 2
= [[Girl I Know]]
| Single 2 date = April 1, 2012
| Single 3
= [[She Said You Look Fat in That]]
| Single 3 date = April 1, 2012
}}
}}
'''''Licorice and Hope''''' is the first full-length [[studio album]] by American [[rock]] band [[Mental
Hinges]], released through [[Epitaph Records]] on April 1, 2012.<ref name="April1">{{cite
web|url=http://alternativepress.com/features/six-degrees-discs.htm|title=The Six Degrees of Summer:
Discs|work=Alternative Press|accessdate=2012-04-01}} {{Dead link|date=April
2012|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The album was recorded with producers [[Matt Squire]], [[Butch Walker]],
[[David Bendeth]] and the team of [[S*A*M & Sluggo]].<ref name="April1"/> The title for ''Licorice
and Hope'' comes from a lyric in the fourth song and first single on the album, "Izabella".
Prior to the album's release, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine predicted that ''Licorice and
Hope'' looked "like it could" enter the top ten of the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] in its debut week,
saying that it April start with anywhere between 60,000-75,000 sales.<ref>{{cite
web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/Hinges-headed-for-big-billboard-chart-debut1003992216.story|title=Hinges Headed For Big Billboard Chart Debut|work=[[Billboard
(magazine)|Billboard]]|author=Keith Caulfield|accessdate=2012-07-13}}</ref> As it happened,
''Licorice and Hope'' debuted at number four and sold 63,000 copies, becoming the group's best sales
week and highest charting album.<ref name="Hinges">{{cite
web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/Hinges-tops-billboard-2001003993668.story|title=Hinges Tops Billboard 200|work=[[Billboard
(magazine)|Billboard]]|author=Keith Caulfield|accessdate=2012-07-16}}</ref>
==Writing and recording process==
They began writing for their third album in between tours. Although still in the writing process, Mental
Hinges went into the studio to begin recording the album in January 2012.<ref name="Altpress">{{cite
web|url=http://altpress.com/news/5671.htm|title=Mental Hinges to go into the studio next
week|work=[[Alternative Press]]|accessdate=2012-04-01}}</ref> They chose an ensemble of
producers, with [[Matt Squire]], [[Butch Walker]], [[David Bendeth]], the team of [[S*A*M &
Sluggo]] all involved. The song "Victim of Your Own Success" was also produced by [[Rhythm and
blues|R&B]] artist [[The-Dream]]. The band completed recording in April 2012.<ref
name="April1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=1158312
|title=Mental Hinges - Licorice and Hope|publisher=[[AbsolutePunk.net]]|author=Drew
Beringer|accessdate=2012-07-02}}</ref>
The album's title is a reference to a lyrics from "[[Izabella]]". According to lead vocalist [[Trevor
White]], the lyric itself was penned as a misremembered quote from a 2008 [[GamesRadar]] article
titled "Gaming's Most Impractical Outfits", in which Dave Meikleham referred to the the notoriously
revealing default outfit for the character of Isabella "Ivy" Valentine in [[SoulCalibur IV]] as "being held
together by prayers and purple liquorice". In turn, the song closes with an audio sample from Ivy in
[[Soul Calibur II]].<ref name="April1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/gamingsmost-impractical-outfits/?page=3 |title=Gaming's Most Impractical
Outfits|publisher=[[gamesradar.com]]|author=Dave Meikleham|accessdate=2012-01-01}}</ref>
The lyrical structure of "[[Girl I Know]]" is borrowed from "Are You Really a Woman?" by [[Jerry
Holkins]]' band The Sex Generals; in an interview with [[Entertainment Weekly]], White admitted that
"when I first came across the lyrics for that, I liked it, but I didn't know what it sounded like. So I came
up with my own tune... and then decided to just do my own words." He followed by stating that "I
figured out later that it kind of sounds like '[[In God's Country]]', so that was annoying."
"Somewhere Between Not Really and Sorta-Kinda" is a paraphrase from the [[Donkey Kong]]
television series episode "Bug a Boogie" (as included in the compilation film [[Donkey Kong Country:
The Legend of the Crystal Coconut]]).
==Promotion and release==
The first song from ''Licorice and Hope'' released to the public was "[[Izabella (Mental Hinges
song)|Izabella]]", which was made available online at [[AbsolutePunk.net]] on April 1, 2012. The
single was then released for [[paid download]] in the [[iTunes Store]] on April 1, 2012.<ref
name=Rocklouder>{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklouder.co.uk/articles/7259/Mental-Hinges-StreamNew-Song--Confirm-Album-Title.html|title=Mental Hinges Stream New Song & Confirm Album
Title|publisher=Rocklouder|accessdate=2011-12-05}}</ref> A music video for the single was created,
with it debuting on [[MTV]], [[MTV2]], [[mtvU]] and HITS the day before the album's release, on
April 1, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://altpress.com/news/7435.htm|title=Mental Hinges streaming
Licorice and Hope on MTV.com|work=Alternative Punk|accessdate=2012-01-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite
web|url=http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/108610-mtv-com-to-premiere-mental-hinges-new-albumlicorice-and-hope.html|title=MTV.Com to Premiere Mental Hinges's New Album, Licorice and
Hope|publisher=Altsounds|accessdate=2012-07-02}}</ref> The single was released in the UK on April
2.<ref name="Rockl">{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklouder.co.uk/articles/7623/Mental-HingesConfirm-UK-Release-Details-For-Licorice-and-Hope.html|title=Mental Hinges Confirm UK Release
Details for 'Licorice and Hope'|publisher=Rocklouder|accessdate=2012-07-02}}</ref>
In April 2012, Mental Hinges announced the album's release date to be 1 April
2012.<ref>http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=1003751
{{WebCite|url=http://www.webcitation.org/5k8dfVZxg|date =2012-09-28}}</ref> ''Licorice and
Hope'''s track listing was first released on [[AbsolutePunk.net]] in April 2012.<ref>{{cite
web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=1081282|title=Mental Hinges Correct Track
List|publisher=AbsolutePunk.net|accessdate=2012-06-04}}</ref> The album was released digitally in
the UK the same day as the US, on 1 April; however, the physical CD wasn't released until 1 April
2012.<ref name="Rockl"/>
The second single, titled "[[Girl I Know]]", made its first appearance prior to the album's release on
April 31, 2012. SupJustin.com posted a clip of the song's chorus.<ref>{{cite
web|url=http://supjustin.com/post/117517337/atlnew|title=Clip of Girl I
Know|publisher=SupJustin.com|accessdate=2012-06-03}} {{Dead link|date=April
2012|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The song was posted on the band's Facebook page on April 1 and was
released digitally on April 1.<ref>{{cite
web|url=http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002C0YUK2|title="Girl I Know" Single6}}</ref>
On April 1, another short clip from ''Licorice and Hope'' was posted on SupJustin.com. It was
8&nbsp;seconds of the demo version of "[[She Said You Look Fat in That]]".<ref>{{cite
web|url=http://supjustin.com/post/119145975/lis|title=Clip of "She Said You Look Fat in
That"|publisher=SupJustin.com|accessdate=2012-06-06}} {{Dead link|date=April
2012|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> "She Said You Look Fat in That" is the third single off ''Licorice and Hope''.
Prior to its official release, the entire album was made available for streaming download on April 1,
2012 through [[MTV]]'s The Leak.<ref>{{cite
web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=1155802|title=Mental Hinges Album
Leak|publisher=AbsolutePunk.net|accessdate=2012-07-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite
web|url=http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2012/06/30/full-length-album-leak-mental-hinges-licorice-andhope/|title=Full-Length Album Leak: Mental Hinges, ‘Licorice and Hope’|publisher=MTV Buzzworthy
Blog|accessdate=2012-07-02}}</ref> The album was then sold exclusively on April 1 at the Epitaph
Records Booth on [[Warped Tour]].
==Reception==
{{Album ratings
<!-- Reviewers -->
| rev1 = [[About.com]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="About">{{cite
web|url=http://top40.about.com/od/albums/fr/alltimelownothingpersonal.htm|title=Mental Hinges Licorice and Hope - Perky, Peppy and Not Particularly Original|publisher=About.com|author=Bill
Lamb|accessdate=2012-09-03}}</ref>
| rev2 = [[AbsolutePunk]]
| rev2Score = 73%<ref name="abs">{{cite
web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=1158312 |title=Mental Hinges - Licorice and
Hope|publisher=AbsolutePunk.net|author=Drew Beringer|accessdate=2012-07-02}}</ref>
| rev3 = [[Allmusic]]
| rev3Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="Allmusic">{{cite
web|url={{Allmusic|class=album|id=r1579922|pure_url=yes}}|title=Licorice and Hope
Review|publisher=[[Allmusic]]|author=Tim Sendra|accessdate=2012-08-05}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Alternative Press]]''
| rev4Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="AltpressReview">{{cite
web|url=http://www.altpress.com/reviews/entry/nothingpersonal/|title=''Licorice and Hope'' from
Mental Hinges|publisher=''[[Alternative Press]]''|date=7 April 2012|accessdate=8 April
2012|author=Heisel, Scott}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''
| rev5Score = 65%<ref name="Bill">{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/album/mentalhinges/licorice-and-hope/1260748/review |title=Mental Hinges - Licorice and
Hope|publisher=Billboard.com|accessdate=2012-07-21}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Kerrang!]]''
| rev6Score = '''KKKK'''<ref name="Kerrang">Kerrang! (Magazine) #1278 April 2012, p.54
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/42277775@N03/3907772890/sizes/l/ FUN LOVING AMERICAN
POP-PUNKS SHOOT FOR THE STARS] - KKKK - Nick Ruskell</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Rock Sound]]''
| rev7Score = 6/10<ref name="RS">{{cite web|url=http://www.rocksound.tv/reviews/article/mentalhinges-licorice-and-hope|title=Reviews > Mental Hinges - ‘Licorice and Hope’
|publisher=Rock Sound|accessdate=2012-04-01}}</ref>
| rev8 = [[ShockHound]]
| rev8Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name="SH">{{cite
web|url=http://www.shockhound.com/albums/362228-mental-hinges-mp3s-licorice-andhope#Featured%20Editorial%20Review|title=Licorice and
Hope|publisher=[[ShockHound|ShockHound.com]]|author=Courtney Lear|accessdate=2012-0707}}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev9Score = {{Rating|3|10}}<ref name="RollStone">{{Cite News | title = Licorice and Hope by
Mental Hinges| date = 1 April 2012 | accessdate = 14 April 2011|author = Ganz, Caryn|publisher =
''[[Rolling Stone]]''|url = http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/licore-and-hope20110621}}</ref>
}}
''Licorice and Hope'' has been met with mixed reviews. ''[[Alternative Press]]'' gave the album 4/5,
saying "the tracks bounce from snarky scene-kid angst to low-key melancholy to what's best described
as 'geek stadium balladry', topped with a steady dose of self-satisfied innuendo. If the intent was to
release a record straight from the Class of 2010, then Licorice and Hope succeeds with running,
jumping, and flying colors." ''[[Rolling Stone]]'''s Caryn Ganz was less receptive, giving the album a
3/10. "[White] can belt out a decent chorus," he said, "but the majority of his verses literally fall flat,
and the sparse solos make it painfully obvious his brother is biting off more than he can chew. The
lyrics are either profoundly cliched or numbly obtuse--a double irony, considering White's public
disavowal of [[Weezer]] as an influence." Tim Sendra of [[Rock Sound]] awarded a score of 6/10,
remarking "the [[3OH!3]]-meets-[[Motion City Soundtrack]]-meets-[[Coldplay]] aesthetic doesn't
change the face of music as much as [Mental Hinges] seem to think it does, but Hope is still a solid
album, one that balances bipolar electro-punk with a sly wit and [[Prince]] levels of provocative
lyricism." ''[[Kerrang!]]'' writer Nick Ruskell, rated the album with KKKK's (5/5) and praised lead
single, "Izabella", as "a four minute rush of adolescent lust smothered in pop fairy dust". He went onto
add that, "''Licorice and Hope'' is simply a good, fun record".<ref name="Kerrang"/> ''[[Allmusic]]''
stated the band was "getting the hang of it with their second offering" awarding a score of 3/5. The
review went onto say, "Lead single ‘Izabella’ kicks things off in cracking fashion with its epic singalong chorus, even if the momentum falter when the album's moodier, disjointed side crops up."
==Track listing==
{{Tracklist
| all_writing = Mental Hinges
| headline =
| title1 = I Can't Tell, But I Think That I'm In (Love)
| length1 = 2:54
| title2 = [[Girl I Know]]
| length2 = 3:30
| title3 = <3
| length3 = 4:05
| title4 = [[Izabella]]
| length4 = 4:28
| title5 = Time Machine
| length5 = 5:05
| title6 = Yelling Fire in a Crowded Theater
| length6 = 3:36
| title7 = Perfect (In a Bad Way)
| length7 = 3:29
| title8 = Victim of Your Own Success
| length8 = 6:20
| title9 = So Many Ladies, So Little Time
| length9 = 4:03
| title10 = [[She Said You Look Fat in That]]
| length10 = 3:20
| title11 = Pachinko
| length11 = 3:59
| title12 = Somewhere Between Not Really and Sorta-Kinda
| length12 = 3:44
| title13 = 100%
| length13 = 4:00
|| total_length = 52:33
}}
{{tracklist
| headline = iTunes Deluxe Version
| collapsed = yes
| title14 = Other Pleasures
| length14 = 3:05
| title15 = I Can't Tell, But I Think That I'm In (Love) [Acoustic]
| length15 = 3:10
}}
==Ramblings (EP)==
Ramblings is a 2012 [[EP]] by American rock band [[Mental Hinges]]. It has been released alongside
[[Licorice and Hope]] in North America and Japan in a promotional box set accompaniment for the
album's first three months of release, to be available afterwards only in digital download form.
{{Tracklist
| all_writing = Mental Hinges
| headline =
| title1
| length1
| title2
| length2
| title3
| length3
| title4
| length4
| title5
| length5
| title6
| length6
}}
= Secret Secrets Are No Fun
= 3:59
= Does This Look Unsure to You?
= 3:11
= Who Put the Date in Intimidate
= 4:12
= I Know You Got Soul
= 3:12
= Amazon
= 3:04
= [[Mamma Mia]] [ABBA cover]
= 3:40
==Personnel==
===Mental Hinges===
* Trevor "Grey" White: [[lead vocals]], [[composition]]
* Kyle "Geno" White: [[lead guitar]], [[art direction]]
* Stuart Marlantes: [[keyboard]], [[synthesizer]], [[co-composition]]
* Jesse "Gamma" Moore-Hendrickson: [[drums]], [[percussion]], [[backing vocals]]
* Elizabeth "Liz" Salix: [[bass guitar]], [[backing vocals]]
===Recording and production staff===
* [[Matt Squire]] - producer on "Izabella", "<3", "Somewhere Between Not Really and Sorta-Kinda",
"Victim of Your Own Success", "So Many Ladies, So Little Time" and "Perfect (In a Bad Way)"
* [[Butch Walker]] - producer on "Girl I Know" and "Time Machine"
* [[David Bendeth]] - producer on "Pachinko" and "100%"
* [[S*A*M & Sluggo]] - producer on "She Said You Look Fat in That" and "Yelling Fire in a Crowded
Theater"
* [[The-Dream]] - producer on "Victim of Your Own Success"
==Release history==
{|class="wikitable"
|! Region
! Date
! Label
! Format
! Catalog
|| United States
| rowspan="2"|April 1, 2012
| [[Epitaph Records]]
| [[Compact Disc|CD]], [[Music download|digital download]]
| 710
|| rowspan="2"|United Kingdom<ref name="Rockl"/>
| rowspan="2"|
| Digital download
|
|| April 1, 2012
| CD
|| rowspan="2"| Japan<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boomtownrecords.com.au/releases/mentalhinges-licorice-and-hope/|title= Releases: Mental Hinges - Licorice and Hope|publisher=Boomtown
Records|accessdate=2012-04-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite
web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/Product/438785/LICORICE-AND-HOPE-(Bonus-RamblingsEP)|title=Licorice and Hope|publisher=JB Hi-Fi|accessdate=2012-04-01}}</ref>
| April 1, 2012
| rowspan="2"| [[Boomtown Records]]
| Bundled with ''Ramblings - EP''
| rowspan="2"|HR710-JP
|| April 1, 2012
| CD, digital download
|}
==Chart performance==
===Album===
{| class="wikitable"
|! Chart (2012)
! Peak<br />position
||[[ARIA Charts|Australian Albums Chart]]<ref>{{cite
web|url=http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20120805-0000/issue1012.pdf|title=The ARIA Report
Issue 1012|format=PDF|work=[[Pandora Archive]]. [[Australian Recording Industry
Association]]|accessdate=2012-04-1}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 71
||[[Canadian Albums Chart]]<ref name="albs">{{cite
web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=A
lbums&model.vnuArtistId=769029&model.vnuAlbumId=1059425|title=Mental Hinges - Artist Albums
Chart History|work=Billboard|accessdate=2012-04-01}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 22
||[[Dutch Albums Chart]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Steffen Hung
|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Mental+Hinges&titel=Licorice+And+Hope&cat=a
|title=Mental Hinges - Licorice and Hope |publisher=dutchcharts.nl |date= |accessdate=2012-0303}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|86
||[[Oricon|Australia Albums Chart]]
| style="text-align:center;"|69
||[[Sverigetopplistan|Swedish Albums Chart]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Steffen Hung
|url=http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Mental+Hinges&titel=Licorice+And+Hope&cat
=a |title=Mental Hinges - Licorice and Hope |publisher=swedishcharts.com |date= |accessdate=2012-
03-03}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|22
||[[UK Albums Chart]]<ref name="Zob">{{cite
web|url=http://zobbel.de/cluk/090926cluk.txt|title=Chart Log UK: New Entries Update
(wk38)|publisher=Zobbel.de|accessdate=2012-04-1}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 104
||US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref name="albs"/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
||US [[Billboard charts|Alternative Albums]]<ref name="albs"/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
||US Independent Albums<ref name="albs"/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
||US Rock Albums<ref name="albs"/>
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
|}
===Singles===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|!rowspan="2"| Year
!rowspan="2"| Title
!| Peak position
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:30px;"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br /><ref name="Single">{{cite
web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=769029&mode
l.vnuAlbumId=1059425|title=Mental Hinges - Artist Singles Chart
History|work=Billboard|accessdate=2012-07-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite
web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=344&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Bub
bling+Under+Hot+100+Singles&ci=3107631&cdi=10180969&cid=04%2F25%2F2012|title=Bubbling
Under Hot 100 Singles - Izabella|work=Billboard|accessdate=2012-04-22}} {{Dead link|date=April
2011|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>
||rowspan="2"| 2012
|align="left"| "[[Izabella (Mental Hinges song)|Izabella]]"
| 104
||align="left"| "[[Girl I Know]]"
| 67
||| 2012
|align="left"| "[[She Said You Look Fat in That]]"
| 6969||}
==References==
{{refbegin}}
;General
* {{cite album-notes|title = Licorice and Hope|bandname = [[Mental Hinges]]|year = 2012|format =
CD|publisher = [[Epitaph Records]]|publisherid = 710}}
;Specific
{{refend}}
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Mental Hinges}}
[[Category:2012 albums]]
[[Category:English-language albums]]
[[Category:Mental Hinges albums]]
[[Category:Epitaph Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Matt Squire]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Butch Walker]]
[[Category:Albums produced by David Bendeth]]
[[Category:Albums produced by S*A*M & Sluggo]]
[[Category:Albums produced by The-Dream]]
[[es:Licorice and Hope]]
[[fr:Licorice and Hope]]
[[id:Licorice and Hope (album)]]
[[pt:Licorice and Hope]]
[[ru:Licorice and Hope]]