Thomas Hopper - A Charity EP

Thomas Hopper

A Charity EP
self-released; 2016

​3.5 out of 5

By Ted Rogen
​

Thomas Hopper’s latest effort A Charity is a complete DIY effort and supposedly was recorded with shoddy equipment and not much gear. A Charity is proof that with a little know-how you can get good results in this day and age. 

A Charity contains five songs that jump around quite a bit in terms of style and elements. He opens with “Mindtrip” which may be the highlight. The production is good overall, from the vocals to the instruments. This song has a chill dubstep vibe. Hopper surrounds the song with airy pads, ascending synths, a drum beat and his vocals.

​There isn’t much of a hook and the song doesn’t ever go into a significant change. Lyrically, Hopper is pretty straightforward. He sings, “And I can’t understand how it could be so bad. I can’t take it. Feel it open inside.”

The next song “High on the Hog” is a complete departure, for better or worse, from the opener. Hopper rocks out. The song touts distorted guitar and a more aggressive energy. The difference in energy between the first and second songs are a bit jarring especially since the synths have such a sedative quality. 

He pulls another 180 on “Palette Cleansing Syntherlude, You'll Need it” which may be a reference to his change in style. All you need to know is the name itself. The highlight on the EP was “It's Cool, I'm Just Doing God's Work for You.” It comes down to just being a well written song. There is a flow to it that pulls you in along with solid drum and guitar work. The song had a tinge of ’90s alternative rock which I certainly didn’t mind. Great song.

Hopper closes with “Demo - It's Cool, I'm Just Doing God's Work for You“ which is a sparse recording of the previous song revolving around his guitar and vocals. As the title indicates the recording is demo quality. I liked the fleshed-out version more but a good song is a good song. 

A Charity is a bit scattered but the songs are solid. Take a listen and don’t hesitate to support the artist as the profits go to a good cause.

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