All music fans could use friends who enjoy, say, both Joanna Newsom and Black Eyed Peas. For the same reasons, they need songwriters like Jesca Hoop. Kismet provides the sass and reassurance people want from drive-time radio, and the mysteries that usually get set aside for snobs. It struggles with small disappointments: "Silverscreen" and "Out The Back Door" grow cocky where a little more intimacy would be nice, and they splinter Hoop's impish vocals into dozens of annoying overdubs, filters, and changes in register. Still "Silverscreen" recalls a timeless movie musical, "Back Door" evokes a horny dance party, and both suit Hoop's inexhaustible curiosity. Kismet is a tease, launching an adventure whose best moments may be yet to come.
Join the discussion...