Hopewell
Good Good Desperation

By Michael Edwards

When a band opens for My Bloody Valentine there's a certain expectation that they might share a similar musical vision, especially if they hold them in high regard. Add to that the fact that the band in question, Hopewell, were formed by Mercury Rev's former keyboard player and waves of swirly feedback and guitar loops are likely anticipated. Yet Hopewell offer a lot more variety than anyone might expect. Good Good Desperation, the band's fifth album, finds Hopewell keeping their Jane's Addiction adoration under control, apart from a few vocal affectations. Instead, they throw together a mix of many styles in a way that's both exciting and frustrating. The folk influences provide the album's most compelling moments but they are often cancelled out by the messier elements that lack cohesion, such as six-minute epic "Bury Me Standing," which runs out of steam. Nestled away somewhere on the CD are all the components for something rather good. They just need to be assembled correctly and that just doesn't happen on Good Good Desperation. (Tee Pee)

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