Hangover Square are a Bristol-based husband and wife duo who have just come to my attention through the release of their second album Rewire.
By Graeme Smith
Victoria Bourne and Chris Harper make music quite unlike much I’ve heard before. They’ve been compared to the likes of Bjork and Kate Bush, but it’s a faint resemblance, and perhaps only overlapping because of each acts sense of trailblazing innovation. Musically, it’s Americana, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
That story is a hard-hitting one. Their new album Rewire tells a tale of transformation. It covers deeply personal events in the duo’s lives – the suicides of two close friends, Victoria’s depression, and ultimately discovering a form of peace in sobriety. The pair found healing in making this record.
Things begin with Softest Of Silks and you get an immediate sense of the unique sound that Hangover Square offer. It is at once folky and cinematic with rousing percussion, delicate layering and ethereal vocals. The lyrics are instantly arresting, full of poetry and imagery as they paint an intriguing picture.
Each of Rewire’s nine tracks are equally rich. Hold My Hand has pleading lyrics set against a cantering tempo. When You is a mystical meditation. Thursday Redemption is moody and conveys a sense of intimacy with its lyrics while title track Rewire livens things with its vibrant instrumental. It’s a highlight.
The album is then rounded off by the ghostly and glorious Gone, the laidback and acoustic Horizons, the cosmically rustic Grandcamp Maisy and philosophical album closer Endearment.
I’m very excited to have discovered Hangover Square’s music. Their second album is a triumph of the personal and the experimental, delivering a journey in which one can easily become lost. The mix of Americana and electronica on display is simply stunning.
Hangover Square will be launching their new album on 4 May at The Exchange, Bristol. A matinee performance, it kicks off at 1pm. Tickets are available here. Rewire will be released the day before and can be pre-ordered as a CD or digital download here.
