Review - Hoopy Frood ‘Affirmations’
New Album Released Sunday 14th February 2021.
Bandcamp - https://hoopyfrood.bandcamp.com
At a time when how we listen to music seems to change on almost a weekly basis and the concept of LP’s and Singles (for all of us who remember them) seems obsolete ‘Affirmations’ by Berkshire based band Hoopy Frood comes as a breath of fresh air. This is without doubt an album in the finest and most glorious sense, clocking in at just over an hour this is not twelve songs packaged together in 3 -4-minute soundbites but a joyous celebration of music with each track running seamlessly into the other, what recording this way does is that it gives the music time to breath, the listener time to enjoy and the musicians involved time to express themselves fully. There are moments when it feels that the band are just jamming but you can also tell that a lot of thought has gone into this and the production and preplanning is superb.
Having established what Affirmations is, which is an Album, trying to describe what it sounds like is whole different kettle of fish, with deep dance grooves, African percussion, reggae rhythms, classic rock guitar solo’s exquisite soulful vocals, which put together makes it sound like it is incoherent and jumbled, it is not, as Hoopy Frood have their own distinct style which incorporates all these different sounds. From the opening track ‘Water’ which starts with an electronic soundscape overlaid with acoustic guitar fingerstyle and features a guitar solo reminiscent of Pink Floyd followed by the wonderful ‘Round Shaped Hole’, the chilled out ‘Atoms & Molecules’ the beautiful piano overlaid with Spanish guitar playing of ‘Harmonics’ the reggae groves and soul led vocals of Big Wide World and ‘Magic in Your Eyes’, listening to this album is like having a Festival in your Living Room. The album does slow down with ‘The Woods’ which sounds like it was recorded outside, and you can hear bird song and almost feel a gentle Summer breeze with it’s beautiful acoustic guitar accompanied by a cello, before picking up it’s pace with ‘Whispers’ and they all finally let rip with the album finale ‘Lets Help one Another’.
This is an excellent well produced album from musicians who clearly know what they are doing that has been ten years in waiting and a great antidote to this crazy mixed-up world with its uplifting music and positive lyrics if any ‘Affirmations’ were needed this is highly recommended.
You can pre order the album now from Bandcamp which is released on 14th February.