Hope Of The States – ‘Left’ (Columbia) Released 21/08/06

‘Left’ shows the kind of epic pop songs that Hope Of The States have got down to a tee, but one’s enjoyment of the track all hinges on whether you can get along with lead singer Sam Herlihy’s whiney, droning and quite frankly irritating voice.  If you decide that you can in fact bear it for the whole 3 and a half minutes, then ‘Left’ isn’t too bad.  The orchestral choruses and pretty piano accompaniment compliment the heavier guitar and drum sounds, but there is no real definable hook.  The track improves slightly with each listen, but at the end of the day, it’s pretty gloomy stuff.