Their first releases were very limited vinyl singles on various different small, indie, and some now defunct, record labels, although 555 records who released '(The) Weight' in 1998 is still alive.
In 1994, record labels Fluff and Slumberland released Hood's first full length album, entitled 'Cabled Linear Traction'. It was a landmark for the band, some still say it's their best album. It had similarities to bands like The Cure, Sonic Youth and Pavement.
The album was issued on CD in 1999 by Slumberland, who also released 1996's 'Silent 88' album. The latter was similar sounding to 'CLT', but with much more experimentation going on and far more use of electronics.
A collection of limited and rare singles was put together by Happy Go Lucky records in 1997 and released on CD and vinyl, the vinyl version coming with a free 7" record.
In 1997, Domino Record Co snapped up Hood and released the single 'Useless'. A lo-fi indie electronica affair, not too dissimilar to the aforementioned '(The) Weight' released the next year.
Around this time Chris was releasing instrumental electronic material as Downpour, often involving heavily distorted drum and bass.
After another handful of singles and eps for Domino, they released the album 'Rustic Houses, Forlorn Valleys' in 1998. A dense, dark and tension building album, sounding somewhere in between Labradford, Mogwai and Massive Attack and produced by the band and Matt Elliott from Third Eye Foundation.
A year later came 'The Cycle of Days and Seasons', once again produced by Matt Elliott. With an ever changing line up still revolving around the two brothers, the sound of the band changed yet again, moving further into indie electronics.
Colaborating with friends Doseone and Why? from the Anticon collective came Hoods 5th studio album 'Cold House' in 2001, their most well known and collectively appreciated ablum. It contained elements of Post Rock, IDM, Indie as well as Doseone and Why?'s voice and lyric talents. Features the single 'You Show No Emotion At All'. Released on Domino.
In early 2005, Hood released 'Outside Closer', an emotional journey through ambience and hip hop beats. More line up changes occured, meaning this album was yet again different to the previous. Taking influence from The Remote Viewer, Prefuse 73 and Empress (the singer of which appears on the album). The tracks 'The Lost You' and 'The Negatives' were released as singles, featuring b-sides and videos for the tracks.
Since the release of 'Outside Closer' Hood have toured with Why? promoting his new album 'Elephant Eyelash' and released various remixes.
During 2006, Gareth S Brown, who played in the aforementioned tour, has been working on a solo album, due for release in November on Richard's girlfriend's label Misplaced Pets.
Currently due for release on record label anticon, is a solo album from Hood lead singer Chris Adams under the name of Bracken. The lead single from the album, titled 'Heathens', is due out in November, the album, titled 'We Know About the Need' follows in January.
In 2007 Richard Adams formed a side project The Declining Winter which has spawned a 7" The Future Sound of Hip Hop parts 1 and 2 and an album Goodbye Minnesota.
There are no plans for any further Hood releases.
Roads Lead Northwards
Hood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(So feel the failure keep me here (?))
Before these thoughts rise again and ruin everything again
(Roads like the way he wore in static lights (?))
I wanted to steal your soul
So you couldn't sleep
Because I haven't slept soundly for years
I wanted to scream in your ears
You're not at home here anymore
Because I don't feel at home
I don't feel at home anymore
The song "Roads Lead Northwards" by Hood speaks to the feelings of loneliness and disconnection from one's surroundings. The opening line, "You can fix your eyes anywhere but upon this shattered sun," suggests that the singer is trying to avoid confronting their own internal struggles. The phrase "shattered sun" can be interpreted as a metaphor for the singer's own fractured sense of self. They cannot bear to look directly at it, so they fix their gaze elsewhere. The next line, "So feel the failure keep me here," suggests that the singer feels trapped by their own emotions and cannot move forward. The failure they feel may be related to failed relationships or other personal setbacks.
The next set of lyrics, "Before these thoughts rise again and ruin everything again / (Roads like the way he wore in static lights)," further emphasizes the singer's internal struggles. The phrase "these thoughts" could refer to negative self-talk or the singer's tendency to overthink and sabotage their own happiness. The reference to "static lights" may conjure up an image of a desolate landscape, suggesting that the singer feels lost and alone. The use of the word "again" implies that the singer has grappled with these issues before, and they are stuck in a cycle of self-doubt.
The chorus of the song, "I wanted to steal your soul / So you couldn't sleep / Because I haven't slept soundly for years / I haven't slept," suggests that the singer is envious of someone who seems content with their life. They want to "steal" this person's sense of peace or happiness, perhaps because they are unable to find it themselves. The line "I haven't slept" implies that the singer's inner turmoil has made it difficult for them to rest or find any sense of calm. The next set of lyrics, "I wanted to scream in your ears / You're not at home here anymore / Because I don't feel at home / I don't feel at home anymore," further emphasize the singer's feelings of disconnection. They cannot relate to the people around them and feel like they don't belong. This sense of isolation is a central theme of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
You can fix your eyes anywhere but upon this shattered sun
Don't focus on what's broken or destructive, it will only bring you down
Before these thoughts rise again and ruin everything again
Stop negative thoughts before they spiral out of control and cause harm
Roads like the way he wore in static lights
The path ahead is uncertain and unknown, like a person navigating through a dark and flickering world
I wanted to steal your soul / So you couldn't sleep / Because I haven't slept soundly for years / I haven't slept
The artist desires a deeper connection with someone, even if it means disturbing their peace, as they themselves are struggling with inner unrest
I wanted to scream in your ears / You're not at home here anymore / Because I don't feel at home / I don't feel at home anymore
The artist recognizes both their own sense of displacement and that of the person they are addressing, and seeks to express it through a raw and emotional outburst
Contributed by Owen G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.