The Harriets - HOPEFULS

The Harriets - HOPEFULS 

The Harriets are made up of Daniel & Ben, a Leeds based duo joined live by Jess and Ryan. Our Sound were impressed with the June single release Cafe Disco (it’s on our playlist and features in our first ever single reviews). They’ve sold out a London show, been played on BBC 6 and been shortlisted for Glastonbury Emerging Talent. 

The LP opens with the aforementioned single release Cafe Disco. The familiar guitar chugs the song into life as the lyrics come thick and fast. A slower chorus bleeds into the guitar refrain that sounds oh so pleasant. Trip To The Moon cements the feeling that this is a band with stories to tell. Places to take us within their lyrics. Darlin’ is more quirky and straightforward - a popular girl and normal guy, a story that’s been told a hundred times before but maybe not as uniquely as this. Rules For Travelling gives the band to show off their harmonies with some lovely piano work involved too. Johnny takes us back to the storytelling that the band seems to do so well. The jangly guitars and tap a long chorus make up a decent track. Come Home is maybe the most commercial song here, it’s pure happy pop (despite the lyrics). Fall Out Of Grace has a catchy chord sequence  and album closer The Boy You Knew is a sombre end to the album.

HOPEFULS is an entirely different LP than what you will hear all year. In places the storytelling lyrics are both poignant and gripping. The music restrained yet effective. This isn’t an indie rock album; it is a glimpse into the soul of a band that can tell a story and that aren’t afraid to make music on their own terms. A promising debut. ** 1/2

HOPEFULS is available to stream on all major music platforms including Spotify.