The Hotelier’s defining characteristic may not be Christian Holden’s complicated anarchist ideas or the singular Sunny Day Real Estate-meets-R.E.M. aesthetic they’ve carved out, but rather the devotion they inspire among fans. That communal passion is so legendary that even if you only catch glimpses of brilliance in Goodness at first, it’s hard not to hear these anthems through the ears of the converted, to imagine their rapture and recognition when Christian Holden screams, “Make me feel alive! Make me believe that all my selves align!” and to be thrilled by proxy. And, anecdotally, if you soldier past that album cover and Holden’s spoken-word intro and give this album’s emotional friction a few chances to spark in you, it might yet light your soul aflame, too
The Fat Angel Sings 