No matter how you look at it, Leeds’ Hope & Social have been amazingly productive in a short space of time and when you take into account their previous incarnation, Four Day Hombre they’ve essentially been putting out an album a year for over half a decade.
If I’d heard last years’ release “April” in 2010, it may well have been a contender for my album of the year. In reality I only heard about them this week and have been trying to catch up ever since on their magnificent back catalogue. Something that is made all the more difficult by them releasing a seemingly even better album already this year in “Sleep Sound“.
Their appearence, harmonising, brass and artwork has a distinctly ivy league feel and while they describe themselves as being “Like a Yorkshire E-Street Band at a party with Arcade Fire having sex to a soundtrack of David Bowie albums” the more collegiate aspects of their music are hard to ignore but definitely reccomended that you accept them and concentrate on the music as that is where the good times are had.
They may also be considered pioneers. Only last month they staged their own multi-stage festival in their home town, a festival that sold out way in advance and due to popular demand is likely to become a yearly event. They’ve also hosted their own version of “Come dine with me” and as they have a habit of, made some wonderful music while they were at it.
Listen to Sleep Sound
Call me Al cover at the H & S Garden party
