Artist: Jesca Hoop
Album: Memories Are Now
Record Label: Sub Pop
The California singer-songwriter's 7th full-length has noble intentions but is disappointingly lifeless.
California-born (and now Manchester, UK based) singer-songwriter Jesca Hoop's early life experiences certainly give her plenty of grounds for introspection. Raised in a Mormon household and spending her early 20's working on a rehabilitation programme for wayward teens would be formative for most. Memories Are Now, her 7th LP, tries to directly collate these experiences and reflect on lessons learned. For all that warmth though, the record feels unfortunately lifeless.
The opening title track revolves around a skeletal groove and beautiful harmonies, but its distant percussive clang means it never gains much traction. Although similarly beat-less, the delicate loneliness of 'The Lost Sky' feels much more epic and longing but by the end its repetition renders it comparably dull. 'Animal Kingdom Chaotic' is better, a nicely off-kilter exploration of human arrogance and power. 'Songs Of Old' is unexpectedly stark and slightly chilling, while absolute highlight 'Cut Connection', with its fuzzy, calmly stomping update of her previously minimalist tendencies is likely to be effecting to anyone familiar with instability or depression (opening lyric: "I'm living the dream and in the dream I'm buried alive").
'Pegasi', however, veers too close to Juno soundtrack-esque cutesiness, and although 'The Coming' sees her indulge in biting, Father John Misty-like anti-religious satire the sludgy, cavernous guitar chords are disappointingly void of atmosphere or energy.
There are a handful of lovely poetic nuances on Memories Are Now, but more often than not neither the music or lyricism is pounding enough to hit as hard as it'd like to. Hoop's introspection is almost always noble if too understated.
5/10
Key Tracks: 'Cut Connection', 'Animal Kingdom Chaotic'
For Fans Of: PJ Harvey, Laura Marling
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