<high energy=”” seems=”” bitterly=”” lacking=”” these=”” strange=”” days,=”” so=”” here’s=”” a=”” wild=”” thought=”” for=”” the=”” placid=”” masses:=”” let’s=”” go!=”” this=”” third=”” full-length=”” release=”” from=”” kingston’s=”” award-winning=”” lara=”” hope=”” and=”” her=”” bevy=”” of=”” boisterous=”” players=”” singers=”” is=”” pure=”” fire=”” required=”” to=”” ignite=”” zombie=”” state.=”” rockabilly,=”” roots=”” rock,=”” western=”” swing,=”” americana…=”” brand=”” it=”” as=”” you=”” may,=”” 11-track=”” trip=”” bursts=”” with=”” retro=”” flair=”” musical=”” mischief.=”” whaddayaknow,=”” track=”” one=”” “let’s=”” go!,”=”” that=”” exclama-=”” tion=”” point=”” demands=”” some=”” action.=”” tight=”” slick=”” slip=”” ’n=”” slide,=”” lead=”” guitarist=”” “shreddie”=”” eddie=”” rion=”” discharges=”” preliminary=”” notes=”” punch=”” your=”” brain,=”” leading=”” way=”” jeremy=”” boniello’s=”” pulsating=”” percussion=”” matt=”” “the=”” knife”=”” goldpaugh’s=”” slappin,’=”” custom-made=”” upright=”” bass.
Lara Hope and The Ark-Tones | Here to Tell the Tale
(Independent)
High energy seems bitterly lacking these strange days, so here’s a wild thought for the placid masses: Let’s go! This third full-length release from Kingston’s award-winning Lara Hope and her bevy of boisterous players and singers is the pure fire required to ignite the zombie state. Rockabilly, roots rock, Western swing, Americana… brand it as you may, this 11-track trip bursts with retro flair and musical mischief. Whaddayaknow, track one is “Let’s Go!,” and that exclama- tion point demands some action. Tight and slick as a Slip ’N Slide, lead guitarist “Shreddie” Eddie Rion discharges the preliminary notes to punch your brain, leading the way for Jeremy Boniello’s pulsating percussion and Matt “the Knife” Goldpaugh’s slappin,’ custom-made upright bass.
But it’s Hope’s uproarious and sometimes growling vocals that ultimately thwack you, and she cracks on rhythm guitar as well. Put a dime in the jukebox for “Stop, Drop, & Roll,” a rollicking nod to that fire they set. But don’t douse it too soon. The title track veers sharply into yeehaw! territory, so maybe it’s high time y’all dusted off your shit-kickers for the rest of the blowout. Catch their livestreaming cataclysm every Monday on Facebook and YouTube; better yet, check them out, live, on December 19 at Colony in Woodstock. To raise the roof with- out the show, Here to Tell the Tale comes in multiple formats; listeners can choose from streaming/download, digital, CD, or vinyl in a handful of vibrant colors. Vibrant as Hope herself.
This article appears in December 2021.
