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Reviews
Interesting. Interesting and hopeful. Interesting in itself as there are intricate early Genesis fights Explosion in the Sky guitar studding the general shoe-gazing. Hopeful in that Hopewood...plough an indirect and less obvious path...98.9% less obvious than their European counterparts...Hopewood slow burn classical rock in the way John Lord intended and in the way Jeniferever try to go today. In the plan, Hopewood are jacking the juice to classical composition and this subtlety means they need a ‘Europe first’ policy to get a result. The zip of “Mayfly’s Grasp” suggests that they may get it. --Unpeeled
Wow. Hopewood’s debut might only be three songs long but in the sixteen minutes it takes you to finish this EP your breath will gone. How could you take time to breath when you could potentially miss one second worth of their amazing post-rock experimental shoegazing guitar? A band in the vein of Explosions In the Sky, Mogwai, and several post-emo indie outfits, Hopewood add string arrangements to their amazing depth with a breadth that is completely peerless and undeniably addictive. Vocally it’s stirring with emotionally wrought lyrics and piercing melodies. Unbelievable. If you don’t own this EP, you’re missing out. --Smother Magazine
Hopewood, with their mix of seismic post rock
with the ethereal qualities of an Explosions in The Sky. The six piece
interestingly include a string section to really give the music a whole new
texture to either under or over lie the typical tools of the post rock
trade. At times the vocals sound a tad stretched but for a debut three
tracker, the important aspect is the intent behind it and the possibilities
for potential. And Hopewood absolutely reek of it. --HeathenAngel
Both records from new label Goodcore came with the same minimum-fuss black and white artwork, and a definite warm fuzzy DIY feel along with it. This happily spreads to the music: in this case, Hopewood’s three tracks of agreeably raw, dreamy post-rock. Just how this young Sheffield, UK band ended up on a label out of Huntington Beach California is beyond me, but with some more than pleasant shoegazing nods at the likes of Appleseed Cast and Explosions In The Sky it’s no bad thing this record has seen light. The addition of three string players to the band helps the progressive atmosphere no end (at last count Hopewood were an eight-piece), and we even get some heartfelt vocals straining themselves over (but not competing with) the instrumentally-designed landscapes. Worth searching out. --Kill The Noise
I wish this wasn’t an EP. It’s that good. Yes, if it wasn’t for a certain thing on this disc, you wouldn’t know it from the new Explosions in the Sky album. So, what is this one thing? Vocals. Well done vocals too. A bit in the emo vein, but they fit. Three epic songs (all over five minutes) of lushly textured space-y indie-rock meeting Mogwai-esque psychedelic emocore. Like the other Euro super groups I previously mentioned, the UK’s Hopewood has a roster near ten members, who play everything from the standard guitar and drums to violin, keyboards and horns. Good move on the acquirement GoodCore, now this band needs a full LP -- and fast. --Feast of Hate and Fear
Post-rock is a genre that can be difficult to pull off convincingly. When it is done right the music is at once grand and understated, generating immense power and force through slow and spacious arrangements. Hopewood, a young band from Sheffield UK, have a few tricks up their sleeves for bringing this elusive quality to their own brand of the genre. Beyond the obligatory guitar, bass and drums, Hopewood’s eight members include three playing Cello, Violin and Viola. These elements give them the rich, ambitious edge filling out their music and preventing them from ever sounding hollow. On their self titled debut EP, Hopewood have borrowed from some of the masters of shoe-gazing such as Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky and delivered three tracks of epic post-rock which effectively demonstrate their talent and potential...Hopewood show with this debut that they are serious and very capable of constructing diverse, emotional soundscapes. --Halo 17
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