It has been a whirlwind couple of months for Jesca Hoop, the Tom Waits endorsed Californian who relocated to Manchester earlier this year and whose self-released album Hunting My Dress was released on November 30 to huge critical acclaim and heavy rotation on BBC 6 Music. Following a spellbinding sell-out show in London where The Observer noted that Jesca “spins a balance between play and poignancy, complexity and catchiness without breaking a thread”, a string of UK dates have been announced for the UK in February 2010, with a single ‘Feast of the Heart’ due for release on 22 February.
‘Feast of the Heart’ is in the words of Jesca Hoop “made up of just two basses, a totally haphazard drum track and my voice”. She neglects to mention that it also drips with pop passion, as if Marc Ribot is joining a rampant Hoop letting her tresses a go-go, with military drums adding to the maelstrom.
Hoop’s artistic ambition and a near obsession with sound and sensual wordplay are the rule of thumb all over this delightful work. We should be proud that she now resides on our fair isle after a lifetime living in the US.
In Hunting My Dress, she has made the album that she most wanted, and in turn we should dive right in and sample this distinguished talent and her work.
Jesca Hoop UK dates:
February//
3 // CARDIFF // Barfly
4 // BRIGHTON // Latest Music Bar
5 // LONDON // Jazz Cafe
7 // BIRMINGHAM // Glee Club
8 // NOTTINGHAM // Bodega
9 // BRISTOL // Thekla w/Fanfarlo
11 // LEEDS // Brudenell Social Club w/Fanfarlo
12 // MIDDLESBROUGH // Westgarth Social Club
13 // GLASGOW // Nice n' Sleazy
15 // EDINBURGH // Sneaky Petes
18 // MANCHESTER // Deaf Institute
www.myspace.com/jescahoop
