Another metamorphosis from the avant-garde experimentalists
Taken from Hood's current album 'Outside Closer', this new single sees the Leeds-based avant-popsters on fine form.
For those of you who don't know, Hood formed way back in 1990, and boast a substantial back-catalogue comprising of no fewer than 9 album and 17 single releases. The band briefly flirted with mainstream success following the 2001 release of their critically acclaimed 'Cold House' LP, a record that featured a collaboration with Anticon's underground-rap experimentalist cLOUDDEAD.
Their first releases were twisted displays of deranged electronic genius (think more along the lines of Aphex Twin than Squarepusher), but the dark nightmare-beats of those early days are now well and truly gone, having been replaced by a more expansive organic swell.
Orchestral A-side 'The Negatives....' is a slice of breezy bliss; a gentle roof-down ride through Boards of Canada's spacious melodicisms. 'Squint In The First Light Of Day' skips and stutters amidst the middle ground between DJ Shadow and Massive Attack; a reflectively downbeat number with a twilight edge that revisits their Cold House days. Final B-side 'The Sad Decline Of Home' is a beautifully delicate affair; a multi-layered composition of acoustic guitar, sublime vocals and mournful cello.
Hood have once again shown that there is no end to their evolutionary talents, creating a record that should appeal to existing fans and newcomers alike.