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Hoops - Routines (Fat Possum)
Released: May 5th, 2017
The young indie-rockers from Hoops deliver their first full-length album on Fat Possum, Routines. I was hooked to this band as soon as I first heard of them. I discovered them through their Tape #2 - EP which included hits like "La La La" and the first version of "On Top" which is one of the lead singles from Routines. I also thoroughly enjoyed their Tape #3 - EP and even more so their commercial debut Hoops - EP. Their lo-fi sound combined with their catchy and jangly guitar riffs are very elegant and smooth. The production overall is pretty simple and straight forward but their sound is still very dense and groovy. Also, the use of synths and keys throughout this project is very prominent and neatly layered.
I believe Hoops did an extremely solid job with this first full-length. Honestly, there isn't too much to say besides the fact that they are so consistent with the quick and catchy guitar riffs. Songs that have this feature that stick out the most are "Rules", "On Top", and "On Letting Go". "Rules" is so quick and to the point, with very crisp riff. "On Top" is smooth with rattling snare hits and contains a beautiful guitar section that follows the second chorus. "On Letting Go" is a track obviously about relationships and the struggles of leaving one. Again, just a smooth and light-hearted guitar riff leads the way.
One of my favorites on the album, "Worry", is the longest song on the record. Leading off with these soft 80's bell piano chords right into a very soothing guitar riff and light percussion. The ending saxophone solo complements the song super well.
The re-imagined and re-produced songs from previous EPs include "On Top", "All My Life", and "Underwater Theme". "On Top" as I talked about before is such a solid single, so catchy and positive. "All My Life" has not been altered besides the fact is has been re-recorded to better quality. "Underwater Theme" has been slowed down and turned into this gentle and delicate ballad. The original recording has such a different vibe than this newer version, but still very enjoyable.
The consistent and constant lo-fi guitar riffs are the primary reason I love this album, but I could see how that may turn some people off. They tend to stick to a pattern when writing and truly don't fray that much from the original sound, which can be annoying or boring. In the future I would love to see them record higher quality and take bigger risks when writing just to see how much they can push their sound while still being catchy and groovy. Overall, this is a fantastic lo-fi record from one of my favorite up and coming bands. The poppy and catchy sounds from Routines will definitely be on repeat all summer. Listen below...
Listen: Hoops - Rules
Rating: 8/10
Fav Songs: ALL
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