Hope Of The States - High Wycombe Union - 24/3/03
4/5
By: Toby L
Set-List: 'Black Amnesias', 'George Washington', 'Black Dollar Bills', 'Goodhorse Hymn', 'Red, White, Black, Blue', 'Last Picture Show', '70's Song', 'Me Ves Y Sufres', 'Enemies/Friends'.
The moral of the story? Don't trust musicians. If you were to take it from Sam H - frontman, pianist and guitarist of new, excitably destined-for-greatness sextet, Hope Of The States - tonight, the warm-up to a higher profile batch of UK and Spanish dates, is a musical-failure. He curses the sound, and the general environment, where present students seem keener to bust a move to the ensuing disco following the band's set rather than broodingly lose themselves in the chilling posture of the band's produce. But Sam fails to realise that him and his band have just performed a hair-on-end inducing wash of white-noise/harmonic, epic-tinged bliss - the likes of which should see them redefining the term 'art-rock', whilst making it a far less shameful avenue to meander through.
To be fair, the early signs themselves were always promising: a Rockfield Studios-produced debut-single - the enchanting keys-driven lushness of 'Black Dollar Bills' - moody visuals, and a lo-fi video, let alone a contender for 'Scariest Official Website Of The Year'. Yet there's something altogether more endearing to the collection of characters that form the 'States... A resplendent awkwardness perhaps, a geeky perversion with sound-conjugation... Whatever, something that allows them to join the eccentric ranks of 'Miraculous Weirdoes', a continually intriguing, beautiful catalogue of UK talent that counts amongst its entrants the likes of British Sea Power, a certain Oxfordshire five-piece, and The Delgados, who also compel, surprise and dazzle, as opposed to adhere to the catchy sound-bite norm. Consequentially, and testament to their musicianship-skills and endeavour to enthral, H of S make for one of the country's finest new bands. No question about it.
Creeping onstage this evening - after a bizarre mis-billing with a raging, hormonal metal act - the band pick up their instruments without a hint of imposing self-adoration, and rocket into collective racket amidst the warming/warning instrumental head-f**k of 'Black Amnesias'. Things standardise remotely more-so during the following 'George Washington' - a chance for the classier, understated and melodic end of the band to showcase itself, with the group's collective militaria fetish - as modelled in their identical jackets - never once proving more commanding than its accompanying soundtrack, which is saying something.
'This sounds like Aerosmith,' they profess before a riveting shiver of music emblazoned 'Me Ves Y Sufres' (and, in case you're wondering, it doesn't sound anything alike the aforementioned), and otherwise the set shocks and bewilders in favourable fashion during the acoustic-based noodling of a dreamy 'Red, White, Black, Blue' and a searing close in 'Enemies...', which ends so starkly sumptuous that you feel as if your ears have just been engulfed in an aural avalanche. Only one that's more impacting.
You may then wonder why - following such a triumph of boldness - any member of said six-piece is uncertain of the resulting display. Well, possibly it indicates to the group's own urgency, and self-analysis: namely, a gentle demeanour, enlaced with an unspoken but notably present intensity that provides their sweeping statements with such arch majesty in the first place. If so, it's this power that will see them harness such a fine, rocking art for a long while yet.
Artists in this article: Hope Of The States
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