Review of Hope of the States's CD "Nehemiah"

Hope of the States: Nehemiah

If you have witnessed Hope of the States live, you will picture the look of concentration and dreamy intent on Sam Herlihy's face as he repeatedly snaps a plectrum back and forth across one beautifully resonant guitar string. Perhaps a warning should be issued before this occurs, as what this man is really doing is not playing a pretty song, but actually removing you from your life...oh yes. By means of a lulling drone which beams all listeners up towards a parallel universe where all music sounds as optimistic, joyful and downright tear-jerking (in a happy, carefree sort of way) as this, Herlihy has created a whole new world.

No other song on 'The Lost Riots' manages to stir up as much mindless abandon and blind happiness as this definitive track. 'Sparks come from anywhere, it's the fire that matters' Sam insists, the band's own fire growing, roaring and turning itself into an all-consuming monster of delicious sonic heaven, climaxing with the unifying chants of 'Come on people, make a stand, come on people if you try you can, you're not alone when the lights go off, stand together when it all stops...', at which point everyone in the suffocating venue spontaneously grabs you, hugs you for dear life and punches the air: 'No self pity, we sing yeah, yeah, yeah, yeeeaaah, YEEEEAAAAARRRGGGHHHHHHH!' Bingo! You have just made life-long friends with the rather dark and intriguing floppy-haired man on your right. You see? Magic.

Alternatively, if you're listening to this single in your bedroom/kitchen/cupboard-under-the-stairs, thrust open the windows (well, not if you're in the latter) wake up the neighbours and rally the ranks, because the uprising has begun. For the duration of this wonderfully inspiring song, anything is possible.

• www.hopeofthestates.com

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