Photo: Press
You can easily imagine James Hoare strolling around enveloped in a hazy, paisley cloud of psychedelia, on his way to a late-afternoon hookah bar brainstorming session with the ghost of Syd Barrett. Hoare, who also logs time in London alt-pysch band Ultimate Painting and indie-pop outfit Veronica Falls, is half the creative team of the Proper Ornaments, whose new album, Foxhole, is due for a late January release.
Hoare formed the Proper Ornaments in 2010 with Argentine expat Maximo Oscarnold (aka Max Claps), who was rescued from a messy situation in Buenos Aires by none other than former Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham. Foxhole is their second proper full-length album, following a string of EPs and singles and 2014’s Wooden Head. The new disc eschews most of the rock elements of its predecessor to focus squarely on the more contemplative aspects of neo-psych songwriting.
Foxhole consists of 11 simple, straightforward tracks built around a no-muss mix of guitar, bass, drums and piano, augmenting hushed (in some cases, nearly whispered) vocals a la Jesus and Mary Chain. The mood is mostly somber and inward-looking, but not cold or lacking in emotion, and unfailingly melodic. Hoare and Claps wear their influences on their billowy sleeves, inviting glances into the review mirror via song titles like 'Back Pages,' 'Memories,' '1969' and 'When We Were Young.'
The album gets off to a promising start with 'Back Pages,' the titular Dylan reference reflected in the ringing guitars reminiscent of preeminent Zimmerman interpreters the Byrds. When the Proper Ornaments follow that with 'Cremated (Blown Away),' a melodic ditty with a propulsive, Velvet Underground-lite groove, you might suspect Foxhole will be another collection of breezy, buzzy indie concoctions.
But next up is 'Memories,' a soothing, piano-based five-and-half-minute session of Floydian analysis conducted inside a Beatlesque armoire. The gently cooed lyrics urge the listener to “look into the sun / when everything’s become / a whiter shade of gray,” recalling Aussie rockers Jet and their Fab Four homage, 'Look What You’ve Done.'
Foxhole then slips into a handful of tracks that are somewhat indistinguishable from one another, though never less than nicely crafted. The songs come and go, leaving vague impressions rather than concrete imprints. A few are more like sketches of songs rather than fully-fledged tracks, odd considering that, according to a band bio, virtually the entire album had to be re-recorded from scratch after an eight-track tape malfunction rendered the original session tapes useless. But Hoare and Claps are out to capture a vibe here and seem determined to see it through. The album regains momentum with the slightly brighter 'Bridge by a River' and 'I Know You Know', which demands attention as it veers closer to folk-rock territory. 'The Devils' closes Foxhole in a more grand, baroque manner, with some (title notwithstanding) heavenly vocal harmonies that might bring a sly grin to Brian Wilson’s face.
James Hoare seems like a bloke with psychedelic melodies literally oozing from his pores, which might explain requiring three bands to fully feed his muse. While falling short of the standout neo-psychedelia produced by Ultimate Painting, the Proper Ornaments offer likeminded listeners another fertile little patch to plant their posies. Surely not the kind of thing you’d listen to while sweating on an elliptical trainer but, let’s say, a welcome alternative to the usual offerings at your local restorative yoga retreat. Hookah pipe optional.
