Hooper Crescent - Essential Tremors LP

Spoilsport Records are ecstatic to announce the second album from Hooper Crescent, ‘Essential Tremors’. Following their wirey and rhythmic debut ‘Object Permanence’, and the refreshing art-pop double single ‘Best In Town/Instant Lawn’, the band take their melodic, off-kilter sound to new heights through sonic experimentation and playful songwriting on this new 11 track LP.

The album ushers in an exciting era for the band, as they expand on their previous work with the help of renowned engineer/producer John Lee (Laura Jean, Lost Animal, The Stroppies). On recording the album, lead vocalist Sam Cummins shares; "After spending the first years of the band recording everything on a shoestring budget, we wanted to see what direction our sound would take working in a more polished studio environment for our second album. We really emphasised the rhythmic/new wave qualities of our music, and pushed our sound into exciting new areas we could never have achieved ourselves."

The record contains the same witty lyricism, punch and sense of unrelenting propulsion as their first LP, with the key example being the supercharged first single 'Late Night TV', and other tracks like 'Electric Stove' and 'Master Disruptor'.

'Carnival', 'Dog Day Afternoon' and 'Staring At The Post' show their unbelievable knack at creating tension through repetition, toeing the line between order and chaos, as if the song is at some point is going to fall away into a heap but powers through into satisfying payoffs.

While never over doing it with the buzzing guitars and pulsating bass, they also allow themselves to sink into more pensive moments like 'Golden Fleece', 'Karaoke Love' and 'Ex-Cub Factor' with the use of heavy synth and drum machine that wash over you without losing any rhythmic charge.

Essential Tremors is a phenomenal art-rock piece that so tastefully balances a mix of distinct post-punk characteristics while leaning into a new path of experimental new-wave.