• Band / Artist : Hopewell
• Genre : Psychedelic / Rock
• Sample Track Download : Kings and Queens
• Buy CD : Buy
• Buy Digital Download : Buy iTunes
• Rating : 9 out of 10

Be careful no more Eugene, for that axe can now safely fall, a new pretender to Pink Floyd is born. I haven’t heard psychedelic rock like this since Pink Floyd in their Ummagumma and Atom Heart Mother days. I was just a boy when those albums were released and indeed didn’t get into Floyd until my late teens, but I can remember so well, listening to ever second of each Floyd album I discovered. The same is true of Hopewell with their Birds of Appetite album, it’s such an amazing album, with some incredible sounds. I can also sense some early Stones influence, around the Sympathy for the Devil days, but that’s probably just me.

Through 12 unbelievable tracks, the CD never fails to engage and delight. It’s probably not too hard to tell, I’m in love with this album. Nothing the wife should be concerned about, but I’ve fallen hook line and sinker. Whilst researching the band, I discovered that they’d been featured by the late, great John Peel and it’s no surprise, cos that man knew his music.

It’s not just the music, the lyrics are also suitable trippy, with lines like “you hate what you become…because you become what you hate. you got a trumpet for a lung. and gold pianos for teeth.” and “and the synthetic symphony…swirls around yr knees…through yr bloodstream. and the saltwater symphony…guides its laser beam…down yr throat. and past yr lungs. to glow steadily…patiently…passionately…on your tongue.” Now that’s what I call lyrics.

Conclusion : OK what can I say that I haven’t said already? Buy this album and buy it (in the words of Bob Geldof) NOW!