Art rockers Hooper Crescent hail from the Naarm – Brunswick suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, which is known for its bohemian culture and strong arts and live music scenes. They release their second album `Essential Tremors` this month which follows on from their debut ‘Object Permanence.’
The album opens with `Dog Day Afternoon` which refers to a hot and sultry afternoon, derived from the ancient belief that the dog star Sirius was responsible for the extreme heat during the period of July 3 to August 11. It was also the title of a 1975 film based on a true story of a bank robbery that went wrong starring Al Pacino. The number is a delightfully jagged, bass and synth driven number that seems to relate to somebody who is experiencing a tearful anxious afternoon. There`s a frantic Gang Of Four vibe about ‘Late Night TV’ which relates to seeing a friend`s record in a variety of places but especially on the small screen or gogglebox in the early hours of the morning.
‘Karaoke Love’ opens with a pulsing synth beat before becoming more eclectic as it evolves with angular riffs, a guiding bass line and vocals sprinkled atop. We have an almost hypnotic beat to ‘Staring At The Post’ which might be about surveying letters that have been delivered or indeed a stanchion of some sort.
`Wrong Direction` is a petty ambiguous title which could equate to a false trail or a wrongdoing, nevertheless it`s a pretty fast paced number with dual vocals in an odd kind of harmony. I thought there was an almost B52`s `Rock Lobster` dance like vibe to ‘Master Disruptor’, where you could move like Ian Curtis to this ditty.
‘Carnival’ is a festival of varied sounds that come together at times to produce a fairly melodic soundscape. We enjoy a fairly fast paced offering with ‘Electric Stove’ as to why it`s named after a domestic kitchen appliance is beyond me but who cares as it`s an oddly reflective kind of foot tapper of a listen.
The delightfully titled `Sunset Through A Prism` is an enticing funky composition which maybe mirrors the vision you`d get after looking at nightfall through a solid geometric figure whose two ends that are similar, equal, and parallel rectilinear figures, and whose sides are parallelograms. The meditative ‘Golden Fleece’ more than likely refers to a goal that is highly desirable but difficult to achieve. In this case it might be a relationship that seems to be on the slide.
The album closes out on ‘Ex-Cub Factor’ a rhythmic throbbing probing heavy synth driven piece which has twin harmonic vocals that share a fairly introspective meditation.
Sam Cummins (vocals, guitar), Kate Allan (keys), Ian Ngo (guitar), Gemma Helms (bass) and drummer Ash Stirling are the quintet that are at the heart of Hooper Crescent. They are joined by Sam Lyons, of Naarm art-punks Eggy, who played saxophone on the new album.
Hooper Crescent have a reputation for balancing a mix of distinct post-punk characteristics while leaning into a new path of experimental new-wave and their latest release `Essential Tremors` continues this stature.
If you like art-rock bands that offer something a little off kilter such as Our Daughters Wedding, Talking Heads, Gang Of Four and Pere Ubu, then Hooper Crescent are the band for you.
Rating 9/10
