{"id":69863,"date":"2018-09-24T14:00:10","date_gmt":"2018-09-24T13:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/?p=69863"},"modified":"2018-09-22T16:24:53","modified_gmt":"2018-09-22T15:24:53","slug":"review-hypophora-douse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/review-hypophora-douse\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Hypophora – Douse"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Imagine Hypophora<\/strong>\u2019s debut album \u2018Douse<\/em>\u2019 as a chest full of jewels washed in from the Cornwall coast and you\u2019re not far off the mark. Key to the band\u2019s sound is Karum Cooper\u2019s guitar. \u00a0One moment playing an ode to 90\u2019s trip-hop, the next it\u2019s an attack that wouldn\u2019t be out of place on an At The Drive-In record. Transitioning seamlessly back and forth so that each song becomes a mixture of sparkling pop, funk, math-rock and post-hardcore that isn\u2019t easy to categorise and continually surprises.<\/p>\n

Vocalist Katie McConnell is stunning, especially on \u2018Spires<\/em>\u2019. With a similar approach to Tiggy Dee from Eva Plays Dead, you detect a Karen O or Becca Macintyre vibe to her voice, but she outshines them all with careful restraint. Collectively, the four-piece play together fantastically meaning the vocals never dominate. When the guitar sits back, Lewis Pilcher brings out tasty bass runs (\u2018To Hear; Listen\u2019<\/em>). When the band play a simple lurching riff, that\u2019s McConnell\u2019s cue to let-rip (\u2018Sorcerers<\/em>\u2019). It\u2019s an attitude that keeps you guessing, but never seems forced, no matter where the song finds its strengths.<\/p>\n