New Music – Jesca Hoop – Memories Are Now

Memories Are Now is Jesca’s 7th studio album, and is the follow up to her collaboration with Sam Beam ‘Love Letter for Fire’ last year. The 41 year old Californian is of good stock and was once nanny to no less than Tom Wait’s children!

The album introduces itself with the faint, vocal driven track ‘Memories Are Now’ which only has a bass line and the merest hint of percussion to supplement her layered voice. The next up is Lost Sky which opens with plucked strings and tells the story of lost love.

“And when we said the words ‘I love you’
I said them ’cause they are true
Why would you say those words to me
If you could not follow through?”

Animal Kingdom Chaotic is built around a Little Britain-ism with “I just work your computer says no” forming the recurring phrase. Simon Says is the most robust so far, with a relatively simple guitar track and sing along chorus. Cut Connection starts with guitar and horse shoe percussion, with the loudest guitar line to date and an almost shouted vocal. Songs of the Old turns the volume down once more with a delicate guitar line and vocal, joined by strings.

The album never goes for the outlandish, it’s all faint and hazy, whispered into your ear. It’s built around the quality of her voice and her love of the guitar. Is it time the world started to pay attention? Has she paid her dues? Quite possibly.

Tracklisting:
Memories Are Now
The Lost Sky
Animal Kingdom Chaotic
Simon Says
Cut Connection
Songs of Old
Unsaid
Pegasi
The Coming

Album Stream: