Manchester is synonymous with bad
weather; a perpetually grey city built on industry and with a wholly
engrained history of the working class and unemployment. As such,
with such limited prospects for the city's youth of the past, the
musical output never really glittered with optimism. It may have been
poetic, but never pretty, and only when flooded with pills in the
late '80s, early '90s did the Happy Mondays dare to cheer up a little
bit, followed by Oasis' laddish hope, both lyrically questionable
bands. It seems now though that solid lyricism and an irresistible
optimism have finally found a pairing in the form of the aptly named
The Hope Edition.
Despite forthcoming single 'Tony Adams
Vs the World' being their official debut, there's been a handful of
recordings online for a year or so now; charming, heartfelt, and at
times whimsical tracks that range between spoken word, post-punk and
old fashioned indie-pop/twee. What sets the band apart from most
however, aside from the inherently sunny disposition, is the
intelligence that runs through the lyricism, allowing Manchester to
painted in a far more romantic light than it's perhaps worthy of.
There's an age old adage that suggests you can't polish a turd, in
the case of The Hope Edition however, that isn't true and as images
are conjured of kisses on the 192 and sick-stained hotel rooms, you
can't help but smile.
Though the band have been described as
being similar to both The Talking Heads, and Manchester's own
Buzzcocks, it's not easy to pin a direct sound on the band, as each
track seems to explore a different aspect of their influences. What
is obvious though, is that their previous experience in other bands
has allowed a maturity to emerge within their song writing, and
though the lyricism might not always be as uplifting as their name
suggests, hope seems to be a theme that runs throughout their music
regardless, making each track as irresistible as the last. With the
post-punky 'Tony Adams...' due for release in June, let's hope the
latter half of the year sees The Hope Edition begin to get the
recognition they deserve.
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