By Phil Scarisbrick

Indiana-based band, Hoops, returned earlier this year after a two-year hiatus to announce the release of their sophomore record, Halo. This week they released the third single from the forthcoming album in the guise of Glad You Stayed. The track – which will also act as Halo‘s opener – is three minutes of shoegazey, melodic guitar pop that follows in a similar vein to previous single, Fall Back. The song relies heavily on the distorted, delay and reverb drenched guitar to drive it percussively, with only light flourishes of hi-hats and snare audible intermittently, before the full drum kit finally arrives for the closing salvo.

Despite having a bright and vibrant soundtrack, the lyrical tone is darker. Addressing the recent failed suicide attempt of a close friend. ‘It was the first time I had experienced something like that,’ said Hoops’ Keagan Beresford. ‘It brought a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, but more than anything I was just happy they survived.’ This conflict can be heard as Beresford sings ‘I remember when you almost left me in the desert/How my tears fell, how my eyes could barely see/But now it’s over, I hope you found your new beginning/And in this new day, I’ll stand beside you‘. The classic juxtaposition of melancholic lyrics backed by an uplifting soundtrack is used to brilliant effect, with the distorted vocal adding a layer of fragility to the overall feel.

Halo is released on 2nd October through Fat Possum Records.

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