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Saturday, August 05, 2006

Wild Promo!

She's kind of Sheryl Crow-ish, crossed with a post-"Partridge Family," pre-"L.A. Law," Susan Dey kind of thing, but, you know, uh, black.
—Dick, High Fidelity


Acoustic-soul siren: Hope
Los Angeles-based vocalist Hope song-cries with a humble, quiet-fire lucidity—as autumnal as apple juice but as clear as the rain. Her voice, breathy and bittersweet, occasionally cracks Crow-esque, but is ultimately distinguished by an earthier, spiritual sheen that comes feathered in two shades of pain and survivor-guilt soulfulness. Any skepticism concerning Hope's sonic sorcery is purged once you lean into her sound's religion and let the lullabies wash over you like a promise.

"The Rain Don't Last," Hope's new single, does just that. Insightful lyrics loom like some silent peninsula, over minimalist, acoustic-soul strumming. The mood here, while at first melancholic, soon shifts to…well…hopeful, as the recent Atlantic signee reminds us that while the sun may not always shine, it's best to just "let it go." Granted, the whole "chin up" theme has been touched before—it's practically legal tender. Hope, however, manages to take the cliche and, in her breezy alto, make it sound like the blissful riddle to someone's math-encrypted void. Peace and piety seem only a mother's kiss away.

Extra! Extra! Hope, in addition to growing up with homegirl* (who was one of my very first girlfriends, back in the days when high-top fades, polka dots, and African Medallions were in vogue), used to sing hooks for my former extended crew, X-Calibur, and was then known for constantly pestering our esteemed colleague, Mr. Jawnsun, on many a drunken club night ("Dee, can I please utilize your car stereo? There's this song I just wrote, and I'm really dying to practice it!") Well, it seems that Hope's hard work and dedication paid off, 'cause fast forward to 2006 and baby girl is, withought question, doing crazy big things on the label Ahmet Ertegun built*. Word.

*What up, Sukee!