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The Hope In the Deep music review |
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The Hope
In the Deep
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Soulful, piano-driven girl pop can be either transcendent (Tori Amos) or pretentious (erm, Tori Amos). Luckily, the debut album by The Hope manages to be largely the former. By blending diverse elements such as classic-rock guitars and Celtic influences, The Hope takes a tired genre and makes it new.
The Hope consists primarily of Shelby Earl (vocals) and Katie Freeze (piano/vocals), whose musical partnership extends back to 1995 where they created Seattle band Ravenna (no, we’ve never heard of them either). The Hope claim to be influenced by Ella Fitzegerald and Sondheim, but their style is much more modern than that, relying instead on the quirky, literate nature of Suzanne Vega. Except with better tunes.
In the Deep opens with “Not About You (The Lament).” And frankly, a title like that isn’t going to drawn in the fans. It opens as one of the stronger songs but rapidly turns into the weakest as the pleasing Sarah McLachlan vocals turn into an aimless dirge of wailing and, well, lamenting.
It would be easy to dismiss this album as nothing more than melodramatic raging by a pair of folky songstresses. But occasional, little touches help In the Deep rise above. Be it the rock touch of the Dar Williams-esque “Heavens at My Feet” or the trumpet backing of “Something For Audrey,” these moments elevate The Hope to something worth remembering. But it’s the gorgeous masterpiece of this album, “Trying to Reach You,” that blows any “copyist” rumors away. Drenched with Hendrix guitars, it turns into a gothic and mournful rock tune with more atmosphere than Charlotte Bronte mooning about on the heath. Lyrics like “Stretched my arms and laid down/Turned my belly to the ground” have a haunting quality that lingers even as the song finishes. Just when you thought this was an ovaries-only CD, songs like “Trying to Reach You” or even the lush “Wrong Day” serve up the redemption.
However, this is not a genre fond of experimentation. And while The Hope try new things, they also get stuck in new patterns. Every song except one opens with gentle piano chords, and the lyrics get stuck in attempts to be profound (“Agonies over: no more words, no more words/I’m taking your hand”), and the truly dreadful “No Gardens Here” could put a caffeine addict to sleep. But you could have it so much worse, and In the Deep has a style and a grace all its own.
-Emily Tartanella 01/05/06
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