Soft, murky, and strangely secretive,
Hoop are a Seattle-based four-piece whose merging of delicate indie pop and light grunge textures makes for an enchanting listen. Formed in the coastal town of Anacortes,
Hoop was initially the recording project of singer/songwriter Caitlin Roberts and multi-instrumentalist Nich Wilbur, whose studio efforts eventually culminated in the LP
Super Genuine. After moving back to Seattle, Roberts surrounded herself with like-minded bandmates Leena Joshi, Pamela Santiago, and Inge Chiles, who completed
Hoop's lineup. As an album,
Super Genuine feels almost private in its intimacy, as if you've just accidentally stumbled into its existence in some small room. Hushed and feminine, Roberts' vocals are delivered in airy tones just above a whisper, their sweetness counterbalancing a backdrop that is both warm and foreboding. The arrangements are sparse and verge on lo-fi, though there is richness there, too, especially on the standout "Baseboards," which features some very nice guest vocals from
Briana Marela. While there are drums here and there, they are infrequent, with the bulk of the songs delivered in sleepy, dream pop swells of atmospheric electric guitars, moody synths, and doses of clean and fuzz bass. Introverted, personal, and creative,
Super Genuine is the definition of bedroom pop before it became a blanket term for anything recorded on a laptop. ~ Timothy Monger