Hollie Cook – Vessel of Love
Vessel of Love is more ethereal, more dreamy, and more hazy than anything Hollie Cook has written before – there's a hidden depth to her breezy pop that will stay with listeners for days
The third solo album by former The Slits vocalist Hollie Cook sees her taking her self-described “tropical pop” – a mixture of reggae and pop – to even greater levels. Vessel of Love is more ethereal, more dreamy, and more hazy than anything she's written before, moving away from Prince Fatty’s dubbier influence on her previous LP Twice towards a more synth-laden sound.
Cook cites singers like Minnie Riperton and Dusty Springfield as important influences on her music, but other periods from pop’s history also make an appearance in this latest album. Namely, dream pop outfits like Mazzy Star can be heard as Cook’s lingering voice whispers and sighs over a rich texture of gauzy sounds. The result is a contemporary rendition of lovers rock, something more cosmic-sounding and entirely Cook’s own, which her first collaboration with producer Martin ‘Youth’ Glover (of Guns N’ Roses, The Verve, and Paul McCartney fame) has helped to draw out.
At first, the staccato guitar strumming and triumphant brass riffs of the likes of album opener Angel Fire make it tempting to categorise Vessel of Love as an uplifting summer album. Yet Cook’s lyrics contain a haunting melancholia, touching on love and survival to create a bittersweet effect. There's a hidden depth to her breezy pop that will stay with listeners for days.
Listen to: Lunar Addiction, Freefalling