Hopewell takes comfort in 'Desperation'

Times, we know, are tough. But not all hope is lost, especially as far as some Brooklyn musicians are concerned.

On May 5, Brooklyn’s Hopewell, a psychedelic rock band heavily influenced by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and early Jane’s Addiction, released “Good Good Desperation” on Tee Pee Records. As the album name suggests, out of bad times and come some promising results.

“The point we’re trying to make is, sometimes when things go bad, that can be the best time,” says lead singer Jason Russo, who formed the band in his hometown more than 15 years ago in upstate New York before coming to Brooklyn, where he lives in Greenpoint. “In retrospect, it might appear good. You look back and realize, that time forced me to change.”


The band personally find themselves in a pretty great spot, with a solid lineup, comprising Jay Green on drums, Rich Meyer on bass, Tyson Lewis on keys, and Lyndon Roeller on guitar, playing together for the past six years, and a record that’s achieved what they set out for it to do.

On “Good,” the band feels they have laid down the closest thing to how they play – an engulfing, immersive live sound – with not as many studio tricks.

“We started out not so much as a live band, we just really loved recording. We were excited about all the things you could do in the studio,” says Russo. “This time, we made a concerted effort to keep it like what we do live.”

Part of the genesis of this album initially came from a 40-minute piece written to be performed in a radio session in Woodstock last fall. The usually pop-rock-oriented band decided to break up the piece, which found its way onto “Good” for what the band wanted to make a full album experience.

“We decided it might be the time we did a cinematic soundscape type of thing,” says Russo. “We get a lot of enjoyment out of exploring other forms of music, pushing the envelop a little bit. It’s just more satisfying to us musically.”

The almost title track, “Good Good Good Desperation,” is a perfect example of that – a free piano riff introduces the anxious “chug-chug-chug-chug” of the guitar before Russo’s atmospheric, echoing vocals kick in. ”Realms of Gold,” a bit more laid back, is a pleasing syncopated piece of playful vocals and catchy melody. Another space-rock standout comes from “Island,” a raring track that’s full of emotion and adrenaline.

From Woodstock, Hopewell has had the chance to take their new sound on the road, experimenting with it live. In turn, a band very much about place (Russo grew up in Hopewell Junction, NY) was inspired by their surroundings.

“It’s fun to playing for our friends in Brooklyn,” says Russo, a fan of venues like Glasslands Gallery and Death By Audio, “but I really like shocking people in the Midwest. We’re all from here, so when we get out to the desert and mountains – it seems so foreign and strange to us. It’s also really inspiring.”

You can get lost in Hopewell’s expansive sound when they celebrate the release of their album at Pianos in Manhattan on May 17.

“We’re working really hard to make this seem like an experience,” says Russo. “We like to construct a show like you would be on Broadway, or a movie – there’s a definite arc, a definite beginning, a definite end. You’ll know when it’s over.”

If only the same could be said for this recession.

Hopewell play Pianos (158 Ludlow St.) May 19 at 10 p.m. Tickets cost $8. For more information, call 212-505-3733.

-Meredith Deliso