Electric Mountain
3Sirens, 2022
8/10
The East Nashville resident Derek Hoke returns with a more upbeat effort than his last work, where influences from Appalachian folk music, Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteen are present and appreciated.
“Wild And Free” starts the listen with warm acoustic guitar and soft singing in the very dreamy climate of timeless folk ideas, and “Let Go Of My Heart” follows with a much fuller display of gritty yet pretty country rock nods as Hoke’s smooth pipes are complemented by soulful backing vocals.
“If You Need My Love” resides at the halfway point, and is full of stirring atmosphere that’s poetic amid a bit of mystery, while “That’s My Woman” relies on thumping drums and much attention to rhythm.
Moving towards the end, the moody keys of “Novocaine” are met with a thicker presence of southern rock sensibilities, and “On Top Of The Mountain” exits with some futuristic sounds to accent the hypnotic bass lines.
A lifelong fan of music and someone who’s paid his dues working in the industry as well, with this instantly memorable listen, Hoke easily cements himself as an artist in the fertile Nashville scene that we should all be more familiar with.
Travels well with: Lynne Hanson- Ice Cream In November; M. Lockwood Porter- Communion In Ashes