Neu Hoop Dreams

The Drums, then. In 2010, they failed to make as much of an impact as many had predicted, whilst fuming a fairly severe backlash in the process. They had: jauntiness; a knack for making sparse, catchy pop. They lacked: Likeability; seriousness; credibility. Blacksburg, Virginia’s Hoop Dreams pick up all of these bereft attributes and attach them to their own, equally jaunty, equally catchy sound.

The only song backing this claim up is ‘XCPR’ but it was enough to get the band signed for a release on Captured Tracks. Max Brooks’ vocals are charismatic, breathing energy into lyrics like “I feel the pull of something invisible” and a desperate, clinging chorus line of “run, don’t be afraid”. The guitars are dry and incisive, whilst clattered tambourines provide a gentle backdrop to the more fervent rhythm section.

Not only is ‘XCPR’ an example of simple, immediately striking guitar-based pop, it’s also seemingly immune to the kind of passionate backlash that undermined The Drums. It’s very easy to dislike that band, so much so that a member of Hoop Dreams might wretch a little at the above comparisons if reading this article. But Hoop Dreams are, by the looks of things, a cut above; laden with the kind of intelligent stance their contemporaries lack.

XCPR by Hoop Dreams