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Album Review
by SashaS
18-1-2005
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| Hood get even Closer to the outside |
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Hood: 'Outside Closer'
(Domino)
Hood: different kind that is subliminal hugeness
A certain number of centuries ago a particular group of Middle-Eastern men formed a small but deadly army to defend themselves. These brothers-in-arms became famous across the land as protectors - skilled executioners who wandered the countryside slaughtering any of the enemy they could find. They were renowned not only for their brutal killings but also for celebrating their slayings by plunging themselves into drug-induced stupors.
Their drug of choice was a potent intoxicant they called hashish. As their notoriety spread, these lethal men became known by a single word - Hassassin - literally ‘the followers of hashish’. The word is still in use in almost every language in the world today but, like the craft of killing, it had evolved and, its English pronunciation is - assassin.
This tenuous link was forged during listening to Hood’s new album. Memories evoked as phantoms of long-gone past and regained imagery rather than any current inhaling… This is a different Hood, not the one like South Central LA/Compton infamous urbanity but that of Leeds. It is as different as these two cities can be, one full of unemployed persons with Hollywood dream next door while the Brit-city is full of unemployed with open spaces not far from a distancing history.
From such a different environment a peculiar album surfaces. Hood’s ‘Outside Closer’ is a magnificent disc that Coldplay will never make! From the opening minimalist sounding ‘(Int)’, we enter into the melodic realm of ‘The Negatives…’ [picked for a single come March] that sound like extra-doped Beach Boys teleported to the XXI century!
‘Any Hopeful Thoughts Arrive’ takes more of an electro-psychedelic route with splendid brass section toward the end, whilst ‘End Of The Train Working’ is wistfully acoustic delight that echoes with freshness of Springtime, ‘Winter 72’ emerges as if performed on another planet, ‘The Lost You’ dons a rockier and more dynamic Technicolor arrangement cloak and ‘This Is It, Forever’ offers a promise of closure.
‘Outside Closer’ takes you nearer to the nature… of self. It is an album - albeit just over 46 minutes long - “that is full of surprises, originality, soul and venom, just like ’pop’ album should be”, urges the PR machinist on the outfit’s 6th long playing adventure.
This one is. The first class CD of 2005.
9/10
SashaS
18-1-2005
Hood album ‘Outside Closer’ is released 17 January 2005 by Domino
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