Monday, April 25, 2011

SUNSET OVER HOPE STREET - Ari Hest




Review: HELL YEH!



Songs that seem riddled with doubts about his relationship with his music that can double for metaphors for relationships with people or life, Ari Hest has written some powerful and visually evocative songs that openly question the musician’s life he’s chosen. Was it the right choice? Is Swan Song a foreshadowing tale of what is to be the future for Ari Hest?


Ari's March, 2011 release - Sunset Over Hope Street is packed with really great songs in tune with pop sensibilities that highlight his vocals...all while keeping the listener engaged by the great music, sounds, and string arrangements in each song.

Stand Out Tracks For Me:

If I knew You’d Say Yes – a song that starts with Ari’s great vocal and ends on it causes me to keep going back to hear this great song. The Drum-work on this song is SPOT-ON. I have no qualms turning my back on a song that puts out something that doesn't fit, but right at 2:07, the way the song was going and kicking in the percussion right there was perfect! Anywhere else and, I'd have probably turned my back on this great song.

Until Next Time – sounds like a song about Ari’s songwriting…unsure if he’ll continue…unsure of the words or stories if they’ll come out anymore…only having “a moment” of his life…and I love how this song starts with sleigh bells and piano and then Ari’s vocals…and some other interesting sounds (probably synth driven).
How Would I Know – Everything about this song is perfect and we even get a big open glimpse into Ari’s questions about songwriting. how does he know for sure that this is THE song? I LOVE the part of the song where the lyric picks up with Caught a show, down at the Rockwood last night

One Track Mind – this song starts off with an organ and reminds me of U2’s Where the Streets Have No Name….and a drum beat that reminds me of a rather military beat.
A Good Look Around….is Ari’s music what compels him to stop and see what’s going on? This track includes a great backing vocal by
ambeR Rubarth.
Now (available on iTunes album download and the Deluxe Double Disc edition) is a song co-written with
Alex Wong (Solo, Paper Raincoat, Vienna Teng and many others) that is a standout track that I'm glad I went with the Deluxe CD to hear it.

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Ari Hest is currently on tour in support of Sunset Over Hope Street...touring with percussionist Doug Yowell (Suzanne Vega, Duncan Sheik, Sophie B Hawkins, to name a few folks he's played with :) These two guys work great together and, if you're able to take a moment of your eye-time off of Ari to watch what Doug is doing, it's pretty amazing the sounds the two of them generate (I've seen 2 shows of their's and walked away, amazed and more amazed).

1 comment:

foru2c said...

you are spot on with every description of of every song and the total review of ari's and doug's show. simply amazing and really undescribeable! thanks for the awesome review! my advice.... download now one of the best albums to be released this year! - mary s.