If you attended this year’s SXSW festivities you eventually became increasingly aware of two things: “Jeremiah Weed” is actually a canned alcoholic tea beverage and Hooray For Earth is a band you’re going to run into at least three times a day whether you like it or not. You could throw a rock and hit any member of the group within a square mile’s distance of James Blake. They worked a rigorous schedule in anticipation of their Dovecote debut, True Loves. Theirs is the sound of memorable synth hooks, melodic euphoria and layers of rich vocals taking precedence over guitars, a theme that is constantly evolving -- and also standard practice -- in today’s fast-paced music release cycle and at any music conference like SXSW. The days of the guitar-based album may be temporarily behind us, but at least we have a growing stable of evidence in bands like Hooray For Earth to keep us excited about the future.
On True Loves, Hooray For Earth creates gigantic, glowing melodies and choruses that stretch far beyond what I expected. Unlike many bands that poke you with their gritty, choppy synths, there’s no vagueness (too much reverb) or confusion (hyperactive vocals) between the audience and the artist's message as Noel Heroux connects with casual, and sometimes commanding, vocal melodies. The cascading synths are also one of its selling points that may remind you of the swirling New Wave/Pop created by OMD. The pace is generally slower, but songs like “Last Minute”, “Sails” and “Same” are shining examples that are on par with the best material found on this year’s strongest albums.
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