Album Review :: Super Water Sympathy :: Hydrogen Child
Written by: Alexandria Smith, Special to CC2K
Self-created “water pop” band Super Water Sympathy continues to make ripples in the music world with their new album Hydrogen Child.
Though this follow up to Vesper Belle (2011) isn’t set to be released until April 23 on In Music We Trust Records, I was lucky enough to get a glimpse at what Super Water had to offer.
With a cohesive mixture of heavily synthesized tracks, guitars, and swelling vocals from front woman Ansley Hughes, the album launched with an impressive swan dive into Uh Oh!, the definitive single. A gripping tale about taking and losing chances set to a lighter instrumental, Hughes utilizes lyrics heavy with thought and emotional clairvoyance throughout, particularly in the chorus. “Uh oh, this town’s on fire / Hello, I hear the choir / Uh oh, oh no, so build your funeral pyre / Whisper to me something that your heart desires / Oho, oh no, soon we will be expired.”
This definitive anthem is followed by twelve additional tracks, ranging from a 50s rock’n’roll -esque ditty (complete with backing vocal harmonies and a ton of feminine sass) with Sunday School Dress to a mournfully aggressive reprise called Shadow to piano influenced song about letting go called Pipe Dream. Pipe Dream is immediately followed by a haunting piano piece called When You’re Not Around, which nearly caused me to tremble as I heard Hughes syrupy, vibrato influenced vocals swell into the chorus.
Without a doubt, Hydrogen Child offers a valuable range of musical versatility, which certainly captures fluid nature of its genre, as well as Hughes’ vocals. There is literally no defining the passionate, soaring sound of her voice from track to track, just as there is no defining Super Water Sympathy. This is certainly an album worth giving a listen to, so don’t forget to pick up your copy on the release date of April 23rd.
In the meantime you can check out Sunday School Dress and the video for Uh Oh.