Fill The Void is an apt name for Jeff Hope’s latest release. With almost 20 years between now and his debut album, Hope has plenty of lost time to make up for. The result is eighteen full tracks of pure, fun energy, laced with just a hint of the struggles Hope’s gone through in recent times.
After releasing his debut album in 2002, The Show Must Go On, Hope ironically stepped away from recording to focus on his own life for what was clearly a long time. It was friend and collaborator Kyle Boudreau that coaxed him into trying to record again. More tragically, it was the recent passing of his father that gave him the inspiration to finish a full album.
Surrounded by his father’s old things, the writing came naturally.
And it shows. Despite the somber atmosphere that Hope no doubt found himself in, he took the album in a very different sonic direction. The tracklist is packed with killer party anthems, with little room to stop and take a breath.
“I’m Ok!” transports you early on to the rowdy bar show it’s meant to be played in. It’s not the last of its kind on the album, but it definitely does a good job of setting the stage for what’s to come. Listening to the incessant drum beat and sizzling guitar without a beer in your hand feels almost criminal.
However, Hope weaves in more emotional tales of love and nostalgia without letting the mood take too deep of a dive.
“Count On Me” is a heartwarming assurance of endless familial love, while “Good Intentions” laments the loss of one’s own past and heritage. “Goodbye Baby” even dips into that classic bluesy, sock-hop vibe.
These moments are fleeting. “Fucked up Saturday Night” comes directly after “Good Intentions” to smash any sense of peace and reflection that might have settled. It all feels very intentional, like Hope is shaking out his posture and heading out to drink his worries away with good company.
While the more country-influenced tracks certainly have their place on the album, Hope’s talents really shine when he leads fully into the wails and high energy of 70’s and 80’s rock. This reaches mind-shattering heights with the penultimate track, “Rely on Your Old Friends.” It’s a power ballad with a classic, timeless aura surrounding it. Hope’s vocals on this song are unlike anything else on the album.
There’s no way to do justice to the wails he hits at the end of the song. Much like the rest of the album, you’ll have to hear it to believe it.