Riffs: Ben Herrington – on Jesca Hoop

Ben Herrington, multi-instrumentalist on Jesca Hoop

“As a big advocate of the cohesive studio album as the highest artistic form for popular music, I have found that Jesca Hoop’s 2007 album Kismet has quickly become one of my favorites. It is an extremely eclectic, yet cohesive, album. It is a fantastic and intricate musical menagerie that is equal parts dark Celtic incantation, gypsy waltz, R&B groove, refined mid-century ballad, and bright and quirky pop gem. The songs contain enough catchy hooks for instant appeal but are rich enough to be enjoyed through many listens. The arrangements are really outstanding and are definitely reminiscent in texture to parts of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and in their ethereal mood and careful, earthy production, to some of Kate Bush’s best recordings.

“Hoop’s lyrics contain many intriguing lines and often seem to playfully approach the borderline between insanity and genius. It is remarkable when an album with so many different musical elements and influences is able to work as a cohesive whole, but due in large part to its carefully constructed arrangements and Jesca Hoop’s strong unique voice, Kismet does just that.”