Little Comets - Hope Is Just a State of Mind Album Review

Little Comets are set to release their highly anticipated album 'Hope Is Just a State of Mind' on February 16th 2015. After their successful 2014 tour accompanied by Catfish and The Bottlemen, the band have become vastly more popular, offering a distinctive and stimulating style of composition.  

The group have successfully kept their unique 'kitchen sink' indie style, with 'Hope Is Just a State of Mind' perfectly capturing the band's clear intention to express their talent the way they want it to be shown, rather than reinventing themselves in order to fit with whatever brand of indie pop that's currently popular. Their music reflects personal and political thoughts, but doesn't always manage to connect with the listener; indeed, sometimes they're in danger of alienating percentages of their demographic.

The first track, 'My Boy William', is very delicate, opening with everyday sound effects used to great impact and frontman Robert Coles' acoustic solo performance. The band eke in as it develops into a fantastic opener with lyrics such as, "I cut all the pages from a magazine, so my boy stays true enough to dream." It is clearly a very personal track, and the gentle acoustic vibe adds to that moving touch. 'B&B' also has a private quality to it with the lyrics "Even my own mother cannot take me back".

Previously released tracks 'Salt' and 'Little Italy' reflect the group's experimental elegance, emitting complementary percussive and string waves throughout. The sheer quiver of each note are enough to send shivers down your spine, along with the powerful lyrical content.

Little Comets' easily identifiable sound is largely down to experimentation with silence and echoes. 'The Gift Of Sound' sounds rather muddled with overlapping vocals; a bizarre and unusual take on that echo style. Other tracks like 'Formula', 'Effetism', 'Don't Fool Yourself' and 'Wherewithal' support the ever honest and bold vibe of the album. Little Comets have really shown that they are not the kind of band to recoil into safe territory with their music. They soar with their ideas, proving themselves on an inspirational scale.

The ending track 'The Blur, The Line & The Thickest of Onions', along with its peculiar name, has a very strange use of percussion. The a cappella vocals blending into more powerful everyday sound effects, is an unusual composition but creates a wonderfully dominant ending. With repetition, metaphors and a symbolic message, this track is the perfect summary to the whole collection.

A danger is that this album is too similar to what the band have previously released. Although it is obviously a beautiful sound they create, reinvention can prove beneficial in attracting new fans and reaching wider groups of people. Little Comets have a passion for expressing their thoughts and feelings through their lyrics, but it's not always as relatable as they may hope. There's plenty to love about Little Comets and, while their sound remains unique and fresh, we would like to see them bring new ideas to the table.   

3.5/5

Ruth Buxton-Cook