Brighton-based singer songwriter Jacko Hooper burst onto my radar back in 2021 with what is still one of my all time favourite tracks I’ve covered on York Calling, This Was The Earth. He then returned to these pages earlier this year with his track and video Getting No Place Fast. It’s a song that features on his new album Respair.
By Graeme Smith
You might not have heard the name Jacko Hooper before, but it’s likely you’ve heard his music. Over the past ten years he’s performed and recorded music with Bastille, Michael Kiwanuka, James Blunt and many more household names. Alongside that, he’s also set up his own promotions company, Folklore Sessions, and a music venue in Brighton called The Folklore Rooms.
Respair was born from a mental health crisis and its ten tracks tell the story from its depths right through to coming out the other side of it. It opens with Nowhere and its delicately plucked electro-acoustic guitar. It’s a beautifully ambient piece that sets the tone of what’s to come.
Nowhere is followed by the aforementioned Getting No Place Fast. It injects some indie pop energy into proceedings while keeping the emotion high, demonstrating why it was chosen as a single. Zombie is intimately acoustic with heart-breaking, melancholic lyrics. There’s Nothing Between Us continues in the same vein but introduces lighter, romantic elements. It’s Been A Long Haul rounds off the album’s first half with a gentle, lullaby-esque, meditation.
The Dip (Hoping for The Best) opens the second half of the album with a vibrant, hopeful note. Its rich indie folk arrangement is a highlight. It’s More Than Enough returns us to a solo acoustic vibe with some mesmerising harmonies while To Where We Retreat gives us bright finger plucking and Jacko’s vocals at their crooniest. Title track Respair is slow-burning and bold. Its deep soundscape proves another highlight. My Hometown’s A Graveyard bids us farewell with a soothing, piano-led vignette.
Jacko Hooper remains one of the best artists I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing on these pages and this album showcases his ability to write and perform fantastic music while also giving us his whole self – the light and the dark. Respair is an album that demands a close listen from start to finish, and you can check it out below.
