Hooray For Earth: True Loves

By the time the 2010 EP Momo came out, Hooray For Earth frontman Noel Heroux had transformed the band’s sound from straightforward guitar/keyboard pop (heard on 2006’s self-released debut) to the full-on electroclash revival popularized by Passion Pit and MGMT. The spacey “Surrounded By Your Friends” garnered Internet attention with its pulsing beat and epic chorus, but didn’t feel like it was breaking any new ground. On True Loves, Heroux has upped the bombast considerably from the Momo blueprint. It’s a relentlessly heavy record, with synths densely layered atop deep basslines that rumble like an earthquake; Heroux’s etheric vocals, meanwhile, soar in airy chants and harmonies for a strange, otherworldly contrast. Pounding percussion gives it all a racing momentum, utilizing rapid, tribal-like rhythms. The album’s best tracks are front-loaded, beginning with the eerie, shadowy “Realize It’s Not The Sun” and flowing into the relatively bright “Last Minute.” By the time the outstanding title track comes around—featuring an echoing reggae beat, subwoofer-shattering bass, and a sprinkling of blips and beeps—True Loves trembles with a gripping tension that isn’t released until the drifting closer “Black Trees.” It’s fair to say that Hooray For Earth is a relative latecomer to the indie synth-rock party, but it certainly makes for an interesting guest.