'Hope Darling' is an American group which has already existed for around ten years and which has released various singles which can be found in this first album 'Enso' which they signed with 'Epictronic'. They evolve in a mixture of pop and direct rock with compositions having fairly immediate hooks while riding the wave of groups created at the end of the 90s. The word 'Enso' is the Buddhist symbol which defines the ultimate globality of our being and the universe. Often covered in different artistic fields, the members of 'Hope Darling' use it to define their music, I quote the group, "which expresses a moment when the mind is free to let the body create". The compositions are not recent but have never been the subject of an album release, you can find all the videos on their page Youtube and I have put the links on each video after this column which will allow you to follow the lyrics.
'Burning Light' opens the ball of this album with muscular and catchy rock on a unifying melody which can recall the sounds of 'U2' but is certainly one of the most energetic tracks of the album because the whole is very varied and shows different faces: 'Don't Wake Me Up' is a more moderate mid-tempo then 'Lifeline', even if the power of the electric instruments brings a massive sound, is based on a fairly slow rhythm on which the singing of 'Gabriel Sanchez' is very pleasant. 'Lotus' continues at a moderate tempo and offers us a new catchy melody, then, 'Firefight' accelerates the pace for a very catchy composition which gives an irresistible desire to resume the chorus in chorus with 'Gabriel Sanchez'. With 'Say A Prayer', we have the melancholic ballad of the album which is magnificent, and which offers a new addictive chorus, then 'Rain' alternates different rhythms and shows beautiful vocal harmonies which makes it one of the most original compositions from the album. Follows 'It Was Alway You' which could be a mix of U2 for the clear atmosphere and 'Pink Floyd' for the melodic lines which remind me of 'Coming Back To Life' and 'Absolution (One Last Breath)' closes this beautiful album with, first of all, a quiet first part on which 'Gabriel Sanchez' offers us a moving vocal performance, then the title takes off after 2 minutes and shows a catchy face, the melodic lines of the chorus still being very catchy.
In summary, the Americans of 'Hope Darling' released a first quality album which is a series of pop/rock hits that we have an immense pleasure to listen to thanks to unifying melodic lines and, if they continue to offer us this kind of compositions in the future, it's a safe bet that they should make themselves known internationally and perhaps compete with the biggest rock groups of the moment...
Videos of 'Enso':
1 - Burning Light
2 - Don't Wake Me Up
3 - Lifeline
4 - Lotus
5 - Rain
6 - Firefight
7 - Say A Prayer
8 - It Was Always You
9 - Absolution (One Last Breath) | |
